Life in Color
by ninag95
Summary: AU where the Shokugeki no Soma students are artists instead of chefs! What happens when talented painter Soma meets Erina, the VP of the Nakiri Art Foundation? Will she say his artwork is a masterpiece?
1. Chapter 1

Club Tokyo was packed that night. Its patrons were dressed to impress, hoping to catch the eye of that attractive person by the bar and the music was hot with the DJ controlling the steady tempo of his remixes. The darkness provided the anonymity needed for the dancers to lower their inhibitions, empowering them to do things they never would have in the sunlight. Erina and her friends pushed through the sweaty crowd to the lavish VIP section. An intimidating bouncer immediately unhooked the thick velvet rope as the ladies approached, allowing them passage up the stairway to the ultra-luxurious, private lounge.

The pulsing lights from the dance floor played with the purple neon lights from the VIP section. The space had an unobstructed view of the dancers from up above, along with large U-shaped couches and small sleek tables in the center, each adorned with a modern dimly-lit lamp.

Erina adjusted her sash that read "Birthday Girl!" in big pink letters as she sat on the black velvet couch, turning to face her friends. "It's so loud! I can't even hear myself think!" She screamed over the music. She could feel the bass vibrating through her bones; it was simply impossible to hold a conversation here. Her cousin Alice laughed, yelling back, "That's the point! You're not supposed to think! Just do!"

Alice tucked her a strand of her short white hair back behind her ear as she gratefully accepted the drink the waiter handed her. Hisako, Erina's best friend and former secretary, sipped her drink as well and remained quiet. She agreed with Erina that this wasn't exactly her kind of place but had long since accepted the fact that Alice was the one overseeing the plans for Erina's birthday. Ikumi, a coworker of Erina's, was having a great time. She liked the attention they'd been receiving from the men as they had entered the club. Of course, it wasn't every day these average people saw such strikingly gorgeous girls all grouped together, unless they were models or actresses on TV.

Erina sipped her vodka cranberry, letting the buzz tingle through her body. Drinking always made clubs like these slightly more bearable for her. She really wasn't a fan of loud noises or people touching her, two things clubs were notorious for. _Leave it to Alice to plan what SHE wants to do for MY birthday_.

Erina was now 21, which meant she would be playing a much greater role in her family's business. Erina Nakiri was a part of the Nakiri Art Foundation, the most prominent art gallery in Japan, and arguably the world. Her wealthy family represented a wide range of the most talented individuals, from established artists to promising up-and-comers in the art scene.

She also happened to possess a gift for critiquing art, which granted her the nickname "God's Eye". She had been an expert at analyzing, interpreting and judging every medium of art from a very young age. When she was 4, she had commented haughtily, "While the use of color is impressive, the artist does not make use of the negative space effectively," after finishing The Very Hungry Caterpillar for the first time. Since then, she had been her family's secret weapon in the discovery of some of the greatest artists from all corners of the earth. Erina loved the foundation and her job. However, there were things she was excited to change about the way it was currently being run by her father.

Another waiter had approached them, leaving a round of shots on the table. "These are from the gentlemen over there," indicating to the other corner of the private lounge. Erina glanced over at the group of rambunctious preppy-looking college boys who were now nodding and smiling over at the girls. They shot back polite perfunctory smiles of thanks as Erina sighed. _Well, at least that means I can cross that off the list!_ She thought satisfactorily as she pulled out the glittery list Alice had prepared as a birthday scavenger hunt. 'Number 4: Get someone to buy you a drink' could be crossed off! The sooner she finished everything on this list, the sooner she could get out of here, change into pajamas, and binge watch This Is Us.

There was literally no way she would be able to finish this whole list alone though! Her cousin had unreasonably high expectations of what Erina could manage to pull off in one night. Thankfully she had begged her to let the girls help, so all of these could be accomplished between the four of them. Her purple eyes scanned the list as a refresher:

# 1: Take a shot

# 2: Collect $21 in singles from strangers

# 3: Dance on a table

# 4: Pop a bottle of champagne

# 5: Get a piggy back ride from a guy

# 6: Get a group picture

# 7: Get someone to buy you a drink

# 8: Kiss a stranger

That last item on the list was going to be a tricky one. Earlier that evening, Erina had told Alice that she couldn't do #8, since she had a boyfriend! Alice had only added that item to the list after said boyfriend had canceled last minute, claiming he had work to do. Alice just groaned, "He is not your boyfriend! I don't care what your father says. It's just another power play for him to join our influential family with another. You guys don't even like each other! Plus, you know there's something fishy going on with him and that girl." She pleaded with Erina to understand for the millionth time.

Erina knew she was right about everything. Her father had set up this arrangement in the hopes that if it worked out between them, there would be another merger besides the wedding. She didn't have the heart to stand up to her father yet, so she was stuck in this loveless "relationship", if you could even call it that. But Erina tried to rationalize with herself-even if she was single, who would she kiss? She wasn't the kind of girl to just kiss a stranger.

"Hey, I'm crossing off #1 as well since they happened to buy us shots!" She yelled across the table delightedly, prompting Alice to stick out her tongue. "Mou, Erina, you're no fun!" The four girls grabbed the shots and yelled, "Cheers!" as they swallowed, grimacing at the strong alcoholic taste.

Heat rose through their bodies as the alcohol kicked in and they were all suddenly in better spirits, laughing a little louder than before. "Let's dance!" Ikumi suggested, standing and straightening out her short emerald green dress which matched the color of her eyes. Her tan exposed legs and ample breasts caught the attention of many, and she was ready to make her way to the center of the dance floor for more.

Alice grabbed Erina and Hisako's hands, pulling them up from the couch with an exaggerated sound of exasperation as they hesitantly rose. Alice followed Ikumi's lead towards the dance floor, her sparkly bandeau top and matching pencil skirt shimmering under the pulsing lights.

Hisako and Erina exchanged small sighs and laughed, feeling tipsy enough to go along with their crazier friends' whims. Hisako smoothed out her black, long sleeved minidress, focusing on the area where Alice had tugged. The best friends strutted past the guys that had bought them drinks, leaving them staring with their jaws on the floor.

The girls made their way back down the stairs and to the center of the floor, dancing and laughing with each other as everyone watched in awe. No one dared approach them, as it was clear they were all out of their leagues.

* * *

On the other side of the club, Soma Yukihira and his friends had just finished chugging their Irish Car Bombs. They had gathered together that night to celebrate Soma's great success at his very first art show. The reviews had come in, and his work had been a hit! Finally, the culmination of years of hard work had paid off!

Soma had been holding a paintbrush since he was three. Art was in his blood, as his father was probably the most famous painter in the world. Most artists didn't experience this kind of fame and recognition until years after their deaths. While Soma loved and respected his father, he didn't want to grow up under his shadow and be constantly compared to him. Alternatively, he also didn't want to get any special treatment because of his father. This was why he chose to use his mother's name; he wanted to succeed completely on his own merit.

He looked around at his friends and felt incredibly thankful at that moment. "I love you guys!" He yelled out, as they laughed and told him to shut up. Only Daigo shouted "I love you too, man!" and the group yelled for them to get a room. Akira Hayama, a clay sculptor, asked Soma over the blaring music, "So what's next, Yukihira? Gonna start selling pictures for greeting cards?" Soma grinned and admitted, "I don't know! I guess I'll just see where life takes me!" If he was being honest with himself, Soma had been lacking inspiration as of late. He had put his entire heart and soul into his last collection and without his muse, he was feeling empty.

His last girlfriend had been the one to inspire his collection, and after breaking his heart a few months ago, Soma had struggled to paint anything.

Megumi Tadokoro, a sweet blue-haired watercolorist, smiled and tried her best to be heard over the music. "I'm sure you'll be great, Soma-kun!" She and Soma had trained and practiced together for years in college, and she was confident if anyone could make it, it would be him.

"Thanks, Tadokoro! I know you will too!" Soma smiled cheerfully. "Hey Kurokiba, get off your phone! We're celebrating!" He gestured for his friend Ryo to put his phone away.

"I'm trying to see if Alice is here yet. She said she and her friends were coming for someone's birthday or something." Ryo shouted, pointing to his phone. Ryo was a talented artist as well and had been interning with Alice Nakiri in the hopes of securing his place at her family's foundation. How he had found himself working for a woman his own age, he didn't know. However, as time went on, he had to concede that Alice was a force to be reckoned with. He was also surprised by how close they had become over his internship, as Alice wasn't his usual type. Whenever the joyful red-eyed girl was near him, he couldn't help but absorb some of her cheeriness. This was incredibly unusual for Ryo, as he was usually as cold as the metal he welded into sculptures.

Shoji muttered, "I hope her friends are hot," and fist-bumped Daigo. The rest of the group shook their heads at the two guys' immaturity and chuckled.

Takumi Aldini wrapped his arm around Megumi, thinking about how much it had sucked being single. He felt more blessed every day to have Megumi by his side and felt bad for the guys sitting across from him. Takumi was a different kind of artist: he was a chef. He had met Megumi a year ago at his family's restaurant after she had sold them a few of her paintings, and they had begun dating shortly after.

Takumi was pleasantly surprised at how well he fit into her group of friends. The blonde had initially thought he would feel left out and uncomfortable since his knowledge of the art world was lacking, but when it came down to it, they were all still artists. They may have used different mediums to present their creations, but they all bonded over their shared love of creating something entirely new and beautiful from scratch.

Ryo's eyes widened as he exclaimed, "Oh, there's Alice! I'm gonna go say hi!" _He seems a little too excited,_ Soma observed teasingly. His eyes followed Ryo as his tall, muscular friend shoved his way easily through the crowd and hugged a beautiful pale girl in a glimmering two-piece outfit. _Damn, she is hot. Go, Kurokiba!_ Soma thought appreciatively. Ryo made his way back to the table with Alice in tow, along with three girls following her. A sexy, tan blonde was blowing a kiss back towards the dance floor as some guys pretended to catch it behind her. A very pretty girl with cherry-blossom hair had to push the blonde forward to keep her from turning back towards the guys. Soma laughed internally, thinking she was probably the mom of the group. And then, he spotted **her**. Hands down, the most beautiful girl—no, goddess—he had ever seen. Her long blonde hair was tousled from dancing and cascaded down to her waist. Her form-fitting, shimmering rose gold dress brought out her golden hair and rosy cheeks, and as she got closer, Soma could see the specks of pink in her amethyst eyes. He was star-struck by this woman. He wanted to paint her, but he knew whatever he did could never do her justice.

Ryo began introducing everyone around the table to the models in front of them. Needless to say, all the friends, Megumi included, were stunned. The girls on the other side were just as surprised to find that Alice's assistant had hot friends! Like, really hot. They each took turns saying hi and shaking hands, and Erina finally met Soma's gaze. His golden eyes and wild red hair conjured up images of a solitary flame, growing and spreading until it completely engulfed the darkness in the club around her. He was so handsome, even with the little scar on his eyebrow which she felt added character to his face. She wanted to frame him up in her gallery so she could admire him whenever she felt like it. Erina's stomach fluttered with butterflies when she shook his hand, and they both held on for a fraction of a second longer than necessary, absolutely mesmerized by the other.

The group made room for their new company on their bench and Erina squeezed in next to Soma.

 _Say something!_ Soma's brain wracked itself for any coherent words and his eyes fell upon the sash. "Oh, happy birthday!" _Nailed it._

Erina smiled nervously, "Thanks. Alice made me wear this," she added, embarrassed.

"Well come on, you can't expect people to just hand over the money without proof," Soma joked, gesturing towards the bills that had been pinned to her thin dress strap.

Erina buried her face in her hands, almost shouting, "Again, ALICE! She has this stupid list of all these things I have to do for my birthday!"

Alice grinned slyly, "You're having fun, admit it! And now that you mention it, you still have quite a few things to finish crossing off. Better get to it," she winked at her cousin. Erina glared, somehow managing to still look just as beautiful, in Soma's opinion. "Ryo, let's dance!" Alice started to pull at her intern's arm, but he stopped her. "No fucking way am I dancing without taking at least 3 shots." The rest of the group agreed it was time to step up their game, and they ordered a few more shots at the bar. As soon as they started to feel the buzz, they stepped out onto the dark dance floor.

* * *

The music varied from hip hop to EDM to the occasional crowd-pleasing remixed pop song, and with liquid courage, the young adults danced like there was no tomorrow. Megumi and Takumi were discreetly grinding on each other, very drunk and very in love. Erina had mainly stuck by Alice and Hisako's sides, as she didn't like when random guys approached her and tried to dance with her. Ikumi was sandwiched between Daigo and Shoji, dancing with both of them flirtatiously. Soma was dancing with everyone, friends and strangers, guys and girls. He was honestly just having a good time jumping around and celebrating his great success from earlier. Girls continuously approached him, and he danced with them platonically. Erina couldn't help but watch him from the corner of her eye, surprised that a guy as attractive as him wasn't taking advantage of all the attention.

At this point, they were all very tipsy. Their inhibitions had been severely lowered, not only from the alcohol, but from the darkness of the room, the feeling of warm strangers brushing up beside them, and the steady and deep tempo of the music. Erina, head feeling hazy and euphoric, took a step out from her protective circle and began dancing a little closer to Soma. She saw him come towards her a little and smile, and he grabbed her hand and twirled her playfully. She giggled as she spun unsteadily and reached her hands out to grab his shoulders to regain her footing, not bothering to remove them once she was steady. They kept dancing for what seemed like ages, no longer switching partners between songs. Sometimes another person would try to join in on their fun, but the redhead always kept at least one hand on the blonde and vice versa. Finally, Soma gestured towards the bar and made a drinking motion, indicating he was going to get a drink. Erina was disappointed at the prospect of him leaving her side until he cocked his head inquisitively, signaling that she should come with him.

Soma grabbed her hand and led her away from the dance floor towards the bar. He tried his best to grab the busy bartender's attention, complaining to Erina about how long it always takes to get served at clubs.

Erina looked at him confused, then she burst out laughing as she remembered not everyone had access to the VIP section. She grabbed his arm and said cockily, "Let me show you how it's done." They made their way past the bouncer once more after Erina confirmed the boy was with her. Soma gaped wide-eyed at the beautiful girl as they walked up the stairs and asked, "How did you guys manage to score this?! Alice's family connections?" He knew all about the Nakiri Art Foundation and how wealthy they were since his father's work had been displayed in many of their galleries.

Erina hesitated for a second, wondering if she should correct him by saying 'our family connections'. She didn't though, and just nodded in response. _Who cares, I'm never going to see this guy again,_ she reasoned in her head. She waved over a waiter and ordered two waters and two rum and cokes.

"What, you're still drinking?!" Soma asked incredulously.

"What, you're not?!" Erina mocked openly, her eyes glimmered challengingly. "It's my birthday. You have to comply with my birthday wishes." She pouted flirtatiously, and Soma's heart melted.

"Alright, one more drink and then you're chugging water for the rest of the night. I can't be the reason you don't make it to 22." He grinned at her, tapping his glass with hers.

Erina's whole body was warm and toasty and she felt like sinking into the couch. She turned to face Soma, her body positioned languidly on the couch and her eyelids lowered dreamily. "So, is this a typical Saturday night for you, Soma?"

Something about the way she breathed his name made Soma's nerves stand on edge.

Soma laughed heartily, "No, not at all. We're actually just celebrating my review—"

His mind froze.

 _She is so goddamn hot. Her clothes and purse are all designer. There is no way a girl like this would give me the time of day if I admitted that I'm just a poor artist._ Even though he had just had a great first review, it was still too early to start calling himself an actual artist in his opinion.

"Oh? What kind of review?"

He glanced around and saw Takumi and Megumi making out on the dance floor and just said the first thing that came to mind. "I'm a chef," he lied anxiously. "I got a good review today from a food critic."

 _What the fuck? I can't even make toast!_

"Ooooh, wow, congratulations!" Erina exclaimed tipsily. "You'll have to make something for me sometime!" She laughed, giddy at the thought of this handsome boy cooking for her.

Soma laughed nervously, "Definitely!" _Shoot me._ "What about you?"

Erina took a long drink of water to buy time. She was far too intoxicated to debate the pros and cons of telling this guy the truth and most likely going on a drunken rant about her family and her obligations. She rationalized once again by thinking she was never going to see this guy ever again and settled on "I'm a recruiter." _Not too far from the truth…_

Soma nodded, "Nice, any company I know?"

Erina hesitated, "Probably not, I'm kind of freelance." _Is that even a thing? Whatever, he seems to buy it._ She wanted to change the subject back to him. "So, what's your favorite part about being a chef?"

Soma thought back to all his conversations with Takumi, remembering how similar their jobs were in essence. "I love being able to create something from scratch with my own hands, you know? I think being able to express your emotions through art, er- you know, cooking, is such an incredible thing. Being able to make people feel something when they experience one of your creations is a feeling I'll never get tired of."

Erina smiled at his candidness, liking the way his amber eyes burned with intensity when he talked about his job. "That sounds wonderful. Its people like you who are passionate about their craft that make me happy to be a recruiter. I love finding those with talent and giving them the networking opportunities and connections to help them share that passion with others. I also really like judging people," she joked, and Soma laughed, not expecting that.

They talked for a bit more, keeping the details of their lives vague enough to not blow their covers but specific enough to be able to engage in conversation.

Erina leaned further back into the couch in contentment, letting her eyes comb over the dance floor for her friends. _Well, there go #3 and #5._ Ikumi was piggyback riding Daigo on the dance floor and Hisako and Hayama were dancing on a freaking table. Erina slapped a hand over her eyes from second-hand embarrassment. Soma followed her gaze and burst out laughing. "Looks like they're enjoying your 21st more than you are. Come on, we can fix this! How can I help turn this night around for you?"

Erina stared at the adorable guy in front of her and she swore she could feel his honey colored eyes burn right through hers. "Alright," she said pulling out the list from her clutch, "I still have a few more challenges to complete. I only have $17 in singles, I haven't popped a champagne bottle, or taken a group picture yet." She purposely ignored reading the last option, feeling a blush creep up on her face as he read it silently next to her.

It hadn't been crossed out like the others, but she hadn't said it was something she still needed to do. Soma decided to follow her lead and ignore it, pushing himself up from the couch. "Okay, I have a game plan. Let's go!" He pulled Erina up by her hands a little too quickly and she rose up unsteadily, falling into his warm arms. He smelled like laundry softener and cologne, and was that a whiff of paint?

Soma laughed, "Whoa, are you okay? I knew that last drink was a bad idea," he winked, steadying her with his hands on her arms. He didn't let go after she was firmly planted on her feet though, and he continued to stare at her with a soft smile. His head was spinning from all the drinks and this cute girl.

Erina couldn't collect her thoughts either. She wanted to blame it all on the alcohol, but she couldn't.

She nodded that she was fine, and they set off to collect her remaining debt. They decided to buy a bottle of champagne from the bar and "sell" it to another table for the $4 she still needed. Erina shrieked with laughter as the champagne cork popped off and the sparkling gold liquid overflowed from the bottle, eliciting cheers from everyone. She poured the drink straight from the bottle into the strangers' mouths and took a swig from it once everyone had taken a sip. Soma took the bottle from her and drank as well, forcing Erina to think about how his perfect lips had been touching the place hers had been mere moments ago.

From the dance floor, Alice could see up into the VIP section where her cousin was acting much more wild than usual. She smiled, wondering if that Yukihira boy had anything to do with it. She gathered her new group of friends and invited them to come up into the restricted lounge area with her.

It was nearly 1 am at this point, and the whole group was pretty drunk. Erina called them all over as she saw them come up the stairs. "Let's take a group picture!" She urged, and everyone did their best to squeeze into the selfie. "On the count of three, say 'Happy birthday, Erina!'" Alice called out, and they all smiled widely as the flash went off. The friends all went to sit down on the large couch, while Erina pulled Alice to the side and showed her the list triumphantly. "Finished everything!"

Alice grabbed the list disbelieving, "Wait a second, you still have the last one!"

Erina gulped, not knowing what to do. She glanced around, catching Soma's eye, and she immediately looked away in case he had been reading her thoughts. _I guess he wouldn't be a bad option…_

Alice smirked as she watched her cousin's internal struggle. "Oh, my dear Erina. Come, let's sit with our new friends." The two heiresses scooted onto the couch, joining in on the drunken laughter. Time had passed by so quickly, and before they knew it, the club was closing for the night. They all begrudgingly said their goodbyes and began picking up their things.

Hisako, Ikumi and Alice had huddled around Erina. It was now or never. "You can do this!" Hisako giggled, slurring her words. It turned out drunk Hisako was just as bad of an influence as sober Alice! "If you want, I can do it. It just has to be one of us," Ikumi offered with a sexy grin, glancing over Erina's shoulder to stare predatorially at her target. Erina growled, "I'm going to do it!" She balled up her fists in determination and spun around, her hair whipping around with her. She marched directly up to Soma, who had been making sure he had his wallet, keys and phone, and tapped him on the shoulder.

He turned around, and before he could even process what was happening, she was kissing him.

He could taste her last drink on her soft lips and as he started to kiss back, she pulled away teasingly.

Erina pulled out the glittery list and made a show of crossing out the final dare, while the girls behind her squealed in delight and encouragement.

"Thanks for your help!" Erina laughed over her shoulder as she walked away, still being praised by her cheerleaders.

Soma stared at her, a lopsided grin adorning his face. He was speechless. He had finally found his new muse.


	2. Chapter 2

The following morning, yellows, blues and greens splashed across a canvas in Soma Yukihira's studio apartment. He spread the color with each stroke, breathing life into his newest piece. His well-practiced hand expertly adjusted its pressure on his brush to vary the thickness of his lines.

He had finally been inspired again after months of being in a creative rut, and it was all from meeting this woman last night. She had completely charmed him, not just with her good looks, but with all the real conversations they'd had. Being drunk had allowed them to skip the small talk and speak truthfully (for the most part) about their world views and passions in life. He had never connected with anyone on that level in such a short time.

Sunlight streamed through his giant windows, lighting up his make-shift art studio. Having almost wall-to-wall windows gave the room an open, airy feel and Soma left the windows open often. He loved the natural light, cool breeze and sounds of the city from below that flowed in. His large studio bedroom was technically one big room, but he had put up a divider near the far end of his place in order to separate his bedroom from his work space. While the rest of his place was fairly clean, his art studio was chaotic, to say the least. Half painted canvases propped up on easels littered the room while tarps were spread out over the floor, speckled with dots of colorful paint. The left wall of the room was decorated by the occasional paint swatch from all the times he had run out of room on his palette, while the right wall had doodles and little paintings from his friends whenever they'd come over.

The buzzer rang, and Soma used his elbow to buzz whoever it was in, as his hands were coated with acrylic paint.

Takumi and Megumi walked in, carrying breakfast tacos and coffee.

"Oh, thank God," Soma smiled gratefully, "I forgot how much hangovers suck." He washed his hands and forearms thoroughly before taking off the white bandana around his forehead that he always wore when he was painting and tied it back around his wrist. He gulped down the hot caffeine and tore into his tacos as his friends made themselves comfortable on his couch. "So, how are you guys feeling?"

"Not so loud, Soma-kun…" Megumi whimpered, leaving her sunglasses on in the brightly lit apartment. She had never been one to hold her liquor well, and after throwing up three times, she vowed to never touch the stuff again.

Takumi smiled sympathetically at his girlfriend, wishing he could take her pain away. He felt absolutely fine. "Last night was fun, huh? I'm glad Ryo introduced us to Alice and her friends. Now Megumi won't be the only girl in the group!" The blonde chef knew she had been missing her old female college roommates, Yuki and Ryoko.

Soma looked guiltily up from his food, wiping his mouth before admitting, "I don't know if that's such a great idea."

Takumi cocked an eyebrow, "I thought you and Erina really hit it off? Did something happen?"

Soma chuckled awkwardly, "I kinda lied to her and said I was a chef like you."

Takumi and Megumi stared at him dumbly. "Why would you do that?!" They both shouted at once, never knowing Soma to lie about anything.

"I don't know, it just slipped out! Her clothes looked really expensive and the way she talked made me think that she was crazy rich, and I guess I thought she wouldn't want to talk to me if she knew I was just a struggling artist." Soma lifted his arms in defeat and rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. "And now if I see her again, I feel like I'd have to keep up the lie and I don't want to do that to her."

Takumi grinned, shaking his head. "You are such an idiot! First of all, you're not some cliché starving artist who suffers for his work; people pay you good money. How do you think you can afford this apartment without any roommates? Secondly, we probably will be seeing them again since Hayama wants to ask out that pink-haired chick on a date. They'll become a couple and you will eventually run into Erina again. Finally, and I mean this in the nicest way, YOU CAN'T COOK FOR SHIT. Keeping up this lie isn't an option, even if you wanted to!" He laughed, finishing his rant.

Megumi nodded thoughtfully at her boyfriend's words, "He's right! I really think you should just tell her the truth the next time you see her. The longer you wait, the weirder it'll be that you lied. Just say you were really drunk, and you don't know what came over you." She finished lamely, knowing it wasn't a good excuse but there wasn't much else he could say.

Soma groaned, "No, if I do see her I'll just tell her the truth." And he really did want to see her again. He wanted to memorize every one of her features so he could accurately portray them on his canvas. He wanted to hear her talk about how much she loved her work so he could see the way her eyes sparkled like jewels. A slight blush had spread across his cheeks as he thought of the way she had kissed him so suddenly, and how he definitely wanted that to happen again.

Megumi saw the change in his face and giggled, "Wow, you really are smitten. I'm glad to see you like this, Soma-kun." She painfully remembered the way his ex-girlfriend had utterly destroyed him and how her best friend had been like an empty shell of his former self. His usual spark and fire had been extinguished after her betrayal, and it took months to pull him out of his funk. "I can see you're painting again, too. I wonder what inspired you?" She teased gently.

Soma couldn't stop the wide smile from spreading on his face, revealing more than his words would ever say.

* * *

Across town, Erina was just waking up on her silky sheets in her king-sized bed. She hugged one of her dozens of pillows tightly, still half dreaming of the night before.

Soft knocking came at the door, and Erina made a noise of acknowledgment, not yet ready to open her eyes.

Hisako came in with a tray of food and set it down gently on Erina's bed before curling up next to her best friend. "I made you some ginger tea with honey and some oatmeal to soak up all the alcohol."

Erina's stomach heaved just at the word 'alcohol'. "I'm never drinking again." She declared, her throat still hoarse from all the shouting the night before.

Hisako sipped her own tea, giggling, "Likewise. I feel like death. My only consolation is knowing Alice drank even more than us and probably feels just as bad, if not worse."

Then as if she'd been summoned, Alice walked into the bedroom, perfectly chipper. "Good morning, ladies!" She said brightly, taking another place on Erina's bed. "Oh my gosh, can we please talk about last night now?"

This had become somewhat of a tradition for the girls whenever they had gone to an event the night before. The following morning, everyone would huddle into one room and fill the others in about what they might have missed. Divulging these secret details was almost more fun than the actual event.

Erina started. "I really cannot believe how Ikumi was leading both those boys on all night. I almost feel bad for how much she wound them up and then left." She was snorting with laughter thinking about how they had fought over her all night and neither had won. "She does this every time we go out!" Hisako and Alice joined in on the laughter, wiping tears from their eyes after they had settled down.

Once they had stopped giggling, Hisako turned her sights to Alice. "You failed to mention how attractive your intern was. Please tell me he actually knows something about the art world and you didn't just hire him for his looks." She shot the red-eyed girl a weary glance.

Alice pouted, "Of course I didn't! Ryo is an extremely talented individual and I'm glad to have him on my team. I feel he'll be an excellent addition to the Nakiri Art Foundation one day. But it certainly doesn't hurt that he's easy on the eyes." She giggled, prompting Hisako and Erina to smile back. "Besides, like attracts like. His friends were attractive too, wouldn't you agree, ladies?" Alice's comeback was too much for both its victims and they blushed deeply.

After a moment of silence, Erina shrieked, "You danced on a table with him!" and burst out laughing, while Hisako retorted, "You kissed him!"

All three girls were crying of laughter again and hitting each other playfully with the dozens of pillows on the bed.

Erina suddenly sobered up, "I can't believe I kissed a stranger. This is all your fault, Alice!" She cried, giving her cousin one final shove with her soft pillow.

Alice gawked at her, "Oh, come on. I know you enjoyed it. You guys were flirting like crazy all night! And Ikumi even volunteered to do it for you, remember?"

She had a point. Erina had wanted to kiss him all night, and Alice had given her the best birthday present of all: plausible deniability. Erina huffed in annoyance, but grinned, while looking down at her tea. "It doesn't really matter though since we won't see each other again."

The other girls stared at her in confusion, "Why not?" they asked jointly.

"I didn't exactly tell the truth about who I was. I didn't even give him my last name," she admitted. Come to think of it, she didn't know his last name either. _This will make it much harder to stalk him on social media later_ , she thought frustratedly.

Erina explained her flawed logic of why she lied, and the girls made noises of disapproval, shaking their heads. "It just seemed like a lot to dump on a guy the first time we're meeting! I didn't exactly lie, I just…omitted the whole truth."

Hisako and Alice made sassy 'hmm' noises, and Erina rolled her eyes. "Either way it doesn't matter because I'm basically engaged to someone else!"

At this, Alice practically threw herself down into the bed and screamed, her muffled shriek thankfully muted by the thick comforter. "Hisako, will you please explain for the billionth time that Erina will not be marrying that man?!"

Hisako was equally frustrated, although not as outwardly expressive. "Erina, this is a business deal your father put together in order to join your art foundation with a very in-demand painter. The only reason he wants you two together is so he can guarantee your 'boyfriend' will become one of his clients. You are in no way obligated to go along with this. Please, if this doesn't make you happy, just end it. He can't force you to marry someone you don't love."

Erina sank back into her bed, letting her pillows fall on top of her. "I suppose you both are right." This was the first time she had said it out loud. Alice and Hisako did doubletakes.

"Do you think she has alcohol poisoning?" Alice whispered to Hisako, and Erina propped herself up on her elbows, smirking. "No, I'm fine. I think I'm just finally seeing things a little clearer."

Her friends smiled gladly, excited for Erina to stand up for herself, while thanking their lucky stars that fate had brought Soma into her life somehow. They suspected her sudden 180 had something to do with him.

After a moment of reflective silence, Alice glanced sneakily at Erina. "So, you're really going to make me ask?" Erina gave her a confused, "Hm?" and Alice giggled, "How was the kiss?"

Another pillow fight ensued.

* * *

Later that morning as Erina was getting ready for the day, her mind wandered back to picturing Soma's face again. She noticed she had been analyzing it last night like one of her artist's paintings. _There's no way he was that cute. Drinking makes everyone seem more attractive than they actually are. Ah, the photo!_

She pulled out her phone and scrolled through her pictures until she found the group selfie they had taken towards the end of the night. Her heart skipped a beat as she found his face right next to hers and quickly closed out of the picture, feeling like someone would know if she stared for too long. _Shit, he really was that good looking._

She thought of how she had impulsively kissed him, and she couldn't help but squeal in delight and hug herself for being so brave. The best part had been that he had started to kiss her back! She couldn't help herself and pulled her phone out again, trying to find him on any form of social media she could. Unfortunately, she knew from Alice's complaints that Ryo had vehemently refused to create a profile on anything, meaning she wouldn't be able to search for Soma through his friends list or followers. She tried searching just 'Soma', then 'Soma chef', then 'Soma chef Japan' but she couldn't find him.

 _I guess it's for the best,_ she thought sadly. She finished up some last touches on her light makeup and left her room, ready for all the work she had to do that day.

As she walked down the hall, she ran into Hisako who had been running towards her room. She was panting with her arms on her knees, her bubble gum colored hair wildly out of place. Hisako lifted up her phone to show a text from an unsaved number.

'Hey, it's Akira Hayama from last night. Hope it's alright that Alice gave me your number. I was wondering if you wanted to come check out my pottery studio sometime this week. Let me know.'

Erina began reading the text quietly, increasing in volume as she read his invitation. They stared at each other for a moment and then began shrieking and bouncing up and down excitedly. "That's wonderful, Hisako! Are you going to go?" Erina asked. Hisako nodded, nervous jitters spreading throughout her body as she typed out a response. "Yes, we had fun last night and he's much more mature than any other guys our age. Besides, I'm thinking about asking him to lead one of the therapy classes."

Erina was so proud of her best friend. Hisako had started out as Erina's secretary, managing her appointments and basically keeping the blonde alive. She had proved herself to be more than capable, and Erina convinced her father to make Hisako the head of their charity division. Hisako found that the healing powers of art were extremely beneficial to both the physically and mentally ill. The more research she did, the more Hisako loved the idea of using the foundation's influence to heal. Studies had shown that just looking at a beautiful painting for 10 minutes a day reduced cortisol levels and lowered blood pressure. She began setting up drawing classes for the elderly to combat loneliness and donated countless works of art for hospitals who insisted their paintings made their patients heal faster.

Hisako finished typing out her text and sent it, smiling nervously. "We have a date on Wednesday!"

* * *

Hayama's phone buzzed and he grabbed it eagerly. His green eyes skimmed over the text and he allowed a small smile to grace his tan face. "We're meeting up on Wednesday," he said impassively to Soma and Ryo. They nodded in response, knowing that behind his cool exterior he was excited. Hayama always remained calm and confident no matter what.

Soma continued working on his newest painting, allowing his guests to do whatever they wanted in his apartment. They were basically family to him, and he always encouraged them to treat his place like their place. "I'm glad you guys hit off! She seems cool." He took a step back to stare critically at his painting.

Ryo glanced over from where he'd been standing and muttered, "Needs more pink," and went back to recreating Van Gogh's The Starry Night on Soma's doodle wall.

Soma agreed and dipped his brush back into the magenta hue on his palette. "I hope I can finish this one in time for next Saturday." In one week's time, Soma would be joining his father at the annual ball hosted by the Nakiri Art Foundation. While he had initially refused the invitation from his dad, Saiba Joichiro had convinced his son to accept.

"Listen brat, everyone has to use their connections in some way or another, or else no one would ever get anywhere! You have the talent, which is 99% of the work. Let me introduce you to the right people just this once, and I promise things will start picking up for you real soon." His father had laughed and ruffled Soma's hair like he was still a little kid, much to his son's displeasure. Soma had to agree. Although his entire life he had refused his dad's help and avoided meeting his agents, he was finally coming to accept that he needed to meet the right people to propel his career forward.

He was going to showcase his last collection which had done very well, in addition to this new piece he had been inspired to create last minute. He did worry about running into Alice, who would most likely tell Erina who he really was, but he figured at that point he'd be on the ladder to success and it wouldn't come as such a blow.

Little did he know, the Nakiri cousins were spending the whole day double and triple checking all the plans for the ball, ensuring everything would go perfectly. Back at the mansion, Erina had been terrorizing the caterers and staff. This ball had to be the greatest event their foundation had ever put on, for it would become where they announced Erina's new position: Vice President. She went over every detail, scrutinizing the ballroom with her God's Eye. Just as she was about to make a staff member cry after reciting all 17 flaws she found, she heard a familiar voice call out to her.

"Hey, I'm so sorry I missed your birthday party last night, sweetheart." Eishi Tsukasa extended a pale hand to grab Erina's and she pulled away from him, turning her nose to the air. "It's fine."

It clearly wasn't fine.

"I just got caught up doing some work," he said lamely, knowing he would be in the doghouse for a while. "But, I got you something." He pulled out a small Tiffany blue bag from behind his back and presented it to her. "Open it," he encouraged her, wanting the guilt to leave his system.

Erina glowered at the bag like it would bite her, but eventually pulled out the long box inside. She opened it, and gasped. An exquisite white-gold diamond bracelet shimmered brightly, and Eishi took advantage of her moment of surprise to clasp the bracelet around her wrist. "Happy birthday, Erina," he smiled at her.

Just as she was about to grace his presence with a returning smile, Rindo Kobayashi came bouncing through the ballroom doors. Erina's smile immediately turned into a scowl as she looked at the scarlet haired girl. Rindo was her Eishi's top advisor and current agent. However, she always suspected there was something more going on between them and couldn't help but feel irritated whenever the feline-looking girl was around.

"Happy belated birthday, Erina!" Rindo laughed, "I hope you like your gift. I picked it out." Her yellow eyes pulsed with challenging energy as they met purple ones. She ran her tongue over her sharp cat-like teeth and smiled smugly at her opponent.

Erina regained her composure and said in a clipped tone, "Thank you both, but I really must be getting back to overseeing the preparations for the ball."

As she turned to leave, Eishi put out a hand on her shoulder and said, "I promise I'll be there!"

 _Of course you will. This is just another networking opportunity for you. You won't be there for me._

She nodded curtly and walked away, not bothering to respond. While she felt nothing romantically for her white-haired 'boyfriend', her competitive nature bristled at the thought of someone stealing what was hers. She decided to put this aggressive energy into her event planning, much to the displeasure of her staff.

 _This will be a night to remember!_ She declared triumphantly.

She had no idea how right she would be.


	3. Chapter 3

As Hisako was preparing for her date in her bathroom, Erina and Alice were sitting on her bed playing cards and hyping her up.

"Play hard to get!"

"Be modest!"

"But sexy!"

"Ask him questions about himself!"

"Pretend like you need help, so he can feel manly!"

However, since neither Erina nor Alice had any real experience in the love department, it was like the blind leading the blind. Hisako giggled as she swiped on a light pink lip-gloss and Alice chided teasingly, "Why would you need to draw so much attention to your lips? What has Erina been teaching you about kissing on the first date?!"

Erina groaned, "Let it go, you made me! And it wasn't a date!" She added hastily.

Alice cocked an eyebrow shrewdly, "I didn't realize I had that much power over you, cousin. Let's test this: give ME the Vice President position!"

Erina scoffed, "You couldn't handle the responsibility. I know you! You'd give up after a month of not being able to take a random Thursday off like you can now."

Just as the heiresses were about to get into one of their classic disputes, Hisako announced by the doorway, "Alright, I'm off! Wish me luck!"

Both girls whipped their heads in her direction, shouting "Good luck!" and "You got this!", squealing as they lived vicariously through their friend's love life.

"They're totally going to recreate that scene from Ghost. You know, the one where the guy is behind her on the pottery wheel." Alice stated. "Got any fives?" Erina shook her head, "Go fish."

"So, will the greatest painter alive be gracing us with his presence on Saturday?" Alice exaggerated, rolling her eyes. She hated Eishi. Erina smirked at her quip and replied, "Of course. It's another chance to show off his talent. But he won't be going as my date as long as Rindo is there."

Everyone who watched them could see there was something going on there. As his agent, Rindo made sure to keep her client calm and happy. This was necessary more often than not, as Eishi was extremely self-critical and self-conscious when it came to his artwork. Only Rindo knew how to talk him down off the ledge. Erina had noticed within a few days of meeting him that whatever she said didn't matter; the redhead was the only one he would listen to. It was astounding that even her opinion as God's Eye meant less than that dumb cat-looking girl's. This fact coupled with their lack of chemistry left him dead in her eyes. She was becoming more and more bitter about being coerced into this arrangement by her father. It was time to bring this to an end.

"Are you going stag?" Alice gasped in mock horror as she threw her cards down on the bed after losing again. Erina shrugged, now shuffling the pile to start a new game. "I don't know… I might have some options," she responded noncommittally. Her thoughts flew to one man in particular.

Alice smirked, "Oh, a few? I didn't realize Soma had a twin." Erina blushed and yelled, "I didn't mean him!" Alice ignored her, stating, "I can totally get his number for you if you want. I was the one who gave Hayama Hisako's." Erina wanted nothing more than to greedily accept it, but her pride won out. "No, I do not need his phone number! First, I lied to him about who I am. Second, I'm not going to text first like some love-sick pathetic girl. Third, he probably doesn't even remember meeting me." She mumbled the last part, avoiding Alice's gaze by pretending she was rearranging her hand of cards.

Alice sighed and laid a hand on her cousin's shoulder in an uncharacteristically kind manner. "I don't know about the first two, but he definitely remembers you. Don't be ridiculous." Erina smiled and thanked her. "Who are you going with?"

The white-haired vixen pouted and crossed her arms, "I don't know yet! I may end up going stag with you! We can be each other's dates!"

Erina pounded her fist on the bed and agreed. "Deal! Who needs boys!"

* * *

Hisako pulled into the parking lot of Hayama's pottery studio and checked the time. She was 10 minutes early, but she couldn't just stay in the car. He should be expecting her any minute now. Besides, she couldn't date someone who didn't agree with her motto: 10 minutes early is on time and being on time is late.

She pushed open the door and the little bell sounded, alerting the room of her presence. "Hello?" Hisako announced herself, looking around the space. The studio was cozy and beautifully decorated with the pieces its owner had made. Hayama appeared from the back wearing an apron; his tan skin and white hair were even more gorgeous than she remembered. _It was harder to see in the club but his eyes are like emeralds¸_ she noted appreciatively _._ Hisako smiled warmly, "Thank you for inviting me here. I'm excited to learn from you."

"Thank you for coming. I'm glad you still wanted to see me after you saw my embarrassing dance moves," he deadpanned, the corner of his mouth just barely rising. He gestured for her to set her things down and passed her an apron like his.

Hisako shrugged as she put on her apron, "I didn't think they were bad. I think everyone was a little too busy watching Ikumi on Daigo's back to notice us on the table."

Hayama shot a surprised glance back at her, "Oh, people noticed. I'm not used to getting so much male attention. I suppose that's the price you pay for dancing next to a cute girl." He flirted as she blushed.

She shook her head fervently, "N-no… I think you were seeing things," she laughed shakily.

Hayama shook his head but said nothing. "Okay, let's get started."

He took out the clay they would be working with and placed it on the wheels in front of them. "So first you have to wet your hands and then push the clay forward," he instructed as the wheel began to move.

After a few moments of squeezing and molding the clay, Hayama showed her how to use her hands to shape it. Hisako was having so much fun playing with the squishy feeling through her fingers as the heap spun quickly within her hands. She felt like a child again and couldn't help but grin in delight when she placed pressure on her thumbs in the middle, creating a hole in the now-evident bowl.

Hayama smiled at her, impressed. "You're really getting the hang of it." Hisako joked in response, "I bet you say that to all the girls," as she continued defining the shape of her bowl. He remarked, "You know, you'd be surprised at how many girls don't like getting their hands dirty." His voice remained cool, but his stare was fierce. He continued watching her with intensity and curiosity, and Hisako's heart skipped a beat. Her hands slipped off the wheel, ruining the shape of her bowl. "Oh no!" She cried as she saw the deformed heap of clay. "Can I even fix this?"

Hayama stopped his own wheel from turning and came over to hers. "Of course. That's the beauty of clay sculpting." He sat down behind her and took her hands in his, slowly but surely reconstructing the bowl. "You just have to have a bit of patience." Hisako could feel her pulse rising as he spoke softly next to her face. The feeling of his hands over hers mixed with the wet clay humming beneath their intertwined fingers was overwhelming. She couldn't fight the blush that was creeping up on her face and prayed he couldn't see it.

After a few moments, the bowl regained its shape and she was satisfied with the way it turned out.

"So now what?" She forgot his face had been so close to hers and she turned her head to meet his eyes. Hayama looked startled but regained his composure quickly as they both instantly moved their heads back a few inches. "Some people like to fire it before and after glazing, but we're only going to fire ours after we've applied our glaze. The glaze is easier to apply since you don't have to worry about the clay absorbing it, and if you mess up, you can just wash it off. Good for beginners," he nudged her playfully.

They began glazing their pots. Hayama's artistic side took over while Hisako kept hers more basic. "So listen, I wanted to ask you if you'd be interested in teaching a pottery class for a program I started," Hisako spoke distractedly as she concentrated on her glazing. Hayama couldn't help but think how adorable she looked when she focused. "Oh? What's the program?" He asked, knowing full well he would participate in almost anything she asked him to.

Hisako launched into her favorite topic of the health benefits of arts and crafts, rendering him utterly speechless. "There are so many benefits for people who are ill! Arts and crafts enhance your brain dopamine, lessen stress, increase empathy, and give you a confidence boost!" She finished enthusiastically, eyes gleaming. "So, will you think about it? I can only imagine how excited the regulars in the painting class will feel getting to do this!"

Hayama gaped at her for a few moments before uttering, "You're amazing." Hisako's eyes widened as she fervently denied being special for the second time that afternoon.

"How do you not see how exceptional you are?" He asked her with such sincerity that she wanted to melt. She was at a loss for words. Hisako had been used to being in the background for most things, always one step behind Erina, supporting her from the shadows. And while Erina had constantly encouraged her to step forward, she never did. Erina had been the one to push for every one of her promotions, while Hisako would have been fine staying in the same position. She was grateful for her best friend's endorsements, as she lacked the confidence to take those next steps by herself.

As she stared up at the tall sculptor before her, she simply offered up a small smile and said, "I'm working on it." He smiled back, "Let me know if you ever need reminding."

* * *

 _Across town in the Nakiri Laboratory…_

"Ryo!" Alice yelled over the loud whirring of machinery. Ryo, wearing his signature red bandana, continued cutting steel against the grinding wheel, glowing sparks flying. She kept her distance as she knew it was a very bad idea to disrupt someone using heavy machinery but began waving her arms wildly to catch his eye. "What do ya want, Alice?!" He yelled after finally seeing her, annoyed that he had to pause.

Alice pouted and stalked over to him, ripping off the bandana. "First of all, you do not address me like that. Ever!" Ryo grunted lethargically in agreement now that he was bare-headed. "Second of all, what are you doing here? I told you to take the afternoon off."

Ryo wiped the sweat from his forehead with a rag and shrugged, "I had nowhere else to be. Besides, I wanted to finish up my sculpture for Saturday and you guys have better equipment than the welding place I usually go." Alice smiled at his indirect compliment. "Thank you, I picked out all the equipment myself. You know how I feel about state-of-the-art tools." She glanced over her assortment of toys and sighed in contentment. She wanted more though. That would have to be something she would bring up with Erina now that she was about to become VP. While her cousin did her best to pretend like she was annoyed by her, Alice knew the blonde enjoyed her schemes and antics.

Ryo mumbled, "I don't know, I feel like you depend on that stuff too much." Alice turned and glared unbelievingly. She shrieked, "How can you say that after using my babies?!"

Ryo instantly shut his mouth, as he knew there was no point in trying to argue with his boss once she had taken a side. She began to frown when an idea formed. Alice stared at her handsome muscular intern and thought, _Oh yes. He will do perfectly._

"If you really believe you can make a better piece than I can, then by all means. I challenge you to make a better sculpture than me." She smiled flirtatiously, eyes innocent.

Ryo hated that he loved it so much when she did this. He didn't want some weakling girlfriend who wasn't able to stand up for herself. He liked how strong and resilient Alice Nakiri was. "Fine, I'm down. Let's keep it small though because I gotta meet some friends later."

Alice nodded and they shook hands.

As Ryo went back to his sheet metal scraps and grinding machine, Alice started up her 3D printer.

* * *

The winner was clear. Alice's 3D printed butterfly was much more complex and intricate compared to Ryo's abstract sculpture. She knew it was purely due to the time constraint that she won; if Ryo had been granted more time, he could have easily come up with something more complex. He growled in irritation, "I forgot you got the newest model just last week! I wouldn't have agreed to your stupid challenge if I'd known you'd have time to print this AND paint it!" Alice giggled, "I told you my equipment is the best. This is the future of art," she said dreamily. "Now that I've won, my prize is for you to accompany me to the ball on Saturday."

Ryo looked at her, stunned. _Why would she wanna go with me when she could have some rich fancy guy?_ He must've misunderstood. "You want me to be like your bodyguard?"

Alice slapped a hand over her face and rubbed the bridge of her nose in frustration at this hot, dumb man. "No, silly! I want you to be my date!" She blushed a little at having to say it again.

Ryo's face remained expressionless and gave her a one syllabled grunt of acceptance. Inside, he was pleasantly surprised. He was excited to get to wear her on his arm and show her off to all the other artists he knew from the community. He also wanted to mark his territory as he knew she had many other suitors. He had planned on asking her for the same prize of accompanying her, but he hadn't thought she would willingly want to go with him.

"What would you have asked for if you'd won?" Alice mused.

"To take one of these machines home with me," he lied.

* * *

 _The same time at Megumi's apartment…_

"Coming!" Megumi rushed to open the door after setting a cardboard box in one of the few remaining empty spaces in her apartment. "This is the last one!" Takumi exclaimed gleefully, as he set it down the heavy box precariously on top of another. He stretched out his arms and shot his girlfriend a smile.

"All moved in! No more packing a few shirts at a time, no more deciding whose place we're staying at for the night..."

Megumi squealed in delight and wrapped her arms around the Italian chef. "I'm so happy you're home," she shot up and landed a delicate kiss on his nose.

He was just as happy. The blonde had known from the first time he met her in Florence at his family's restaurant that she was the one for him. She had come in so hesitantly with rolled up parchments under her arm asking to speak to someone about hanging her art on their wall. "For free, of course!" She waved her arms in her signature nonconfrontational manner, "I just wanted to get some exposure maybe and I thought they would look nice here!" She squeaked out. He had taken one look at her watercolor paintings and was immediately enveloped in a sense of comfort and home. She had painted iconic scenes from around his town and somehow managed to make him feel as if he were reliving his best memories in every spot. He was so enthralled by this beautiful girl's ability to make him feel at home that he offered to buy every one of her paintings on the spot. She obviously refused, prompting him to cook her a free meal as some sort of compensation. As she ate and he hung the paintings, they talked about their lives and how they had both ended up where they were. Megumi spoke of her recent travels and how she was trying to get influence from new locations, and Takumi realized that he had only stayed in one place his entire life.

That night, Takumi decided to do some research about his future. He saw that Japan, France, and the United States were leaders in the number of restaurants that offered a three-star dining experience. Something had just clicked within him, and within the hour he was buying a one-way ticket to Japan.

They were inseparable for the remaining week she stayed in Florence, and he prayed with all his might that telling her he was moving to Japan wouldn't make him sound like a total stalker. To his great surprise, she was thrilled and offered to show him around as soon as he moved. Their relationship continued flourishing ever since.

They looked around at the sea of boxes in their new home, and their delight turned to dread. "God, this is going to take forever. Should we start tonight?" Takumi asked.

Megumi hummed in thought and finally decided, "No, we are not ruining this beautiful moment. We can unpack this weekend." She giggled and asked, "So, since you're the new chef of the house, what's for dinner?" She loved whenever he cooked, as it was literally like eating restaurant-quality food for every meal of the day.

Takumi grinned but shook his head, "My stuff is all packed away in one of these boxes and I have no idea which one. You know I can't cook without my Mezzaluna!" Megumi sighed, "Takeout then?"

30 minutes later, the couple was curled up on the couch eating Thai food and watching Netflix. "This is so much better than going out," Takumi mumbled with his mouth full of pad thai. Megumi smiled in agreement, stealing some noodles off his plate, "I have a small confession to make. Do you remember when we first started dating and we used to go out every weekend?" Takumi nodded, confused. The sweet girl exclaimed, "It was so exhausting!"

Takumi laughed heartily and yelled, "I only took you out every weekend because I thought that was what couples were supposed to do! If I had known from the beginning you'd be fine with just staying in, we would've done that much more."

Megumi grinned, "So now that we're living together we'll never have an excuse to leave the house besides work. Will we just stay home all the time?"

"Hell yeah," Takumi stated as if it were obvious, taking some of her curry.

"Will we become like a boring old married couple?" She asked, curling up closer to her boyfriend's warm body.

"We don't have to be boring…" Takumi whispered mischievously, as he moved their plates off their laps.

Megumi squealed as he playfully kissed her neck and she turned off the TV.

They christened a few rooms in their shared home that evening. A few hours later as Megumi slept with her head on his chest, Takumi thought, "Home is wherever she is," just before drifting off to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

The night of the Nakiri Art Foundation's Annual Ball had finally arrived. This event showcased the work of the most talented artists in the world. Many already worked with the foundation but a select few promising amateurs had also been invited to display their work. It was an elegant opportunity for artists, clients, and investors to mingle and make connections.

Erina shimmied into her black cocktail dress and walked over to the dresser. _I can't believe Alice managed to trick Ryo into going as her date,_ she thought as she picked out a pair of sparkly earrings. _That means I'll be the only one going alone! I suppose I have Eishi, but everyone will be able to see the way that tramp hangs off his arm. How humiliating. No matter, this night will show everyone that I am a strong woman who doesn't need anyone. This night is about me._ It truly was unheard of to have such a young Vice President, and this was a major accomplishment for Erina. The fact that her father had chosen her over countless others really meant more to her than she would ever admit. She took a final look at herself before heading out the door and decided to throw on the diamond bracelet her faux-boyfriend had given her. It would be foolish not to wear it just because it was from him.

The black limousine pulled up to the front of the mansion to take her to the hotel. Alice and Hisako had insisted she ride with them and their dates, but Erina had shaken her head, not wanting to impose. She especially didn't want to draw more attention to the fact that she would be attending alone. She sat in the car, nerves rising, as she thought of how much everything would change after tonight. Apart from her actual work being different, she was anxious to see how differently people would treat her after hearing the news. Most men were already incredibly intimidated by her after learning about her current role in the prestigious company. She couldn't imagine how it would be after becoming the youngest VP in the foundation's history. The car rolled to a stop and Erina steeled her nerves. _You can do this. You are an independent professional woman!_

The hotel's golden ballroom was beautiful; all her careful planning had paid off. Every detail was perfect. The chandeliers glistened, the tablecloths were pressed, the silverware was polished, and the art had been arranged just as she had wanted. People were making polite small talk and laughing with wine glasses in their hands as they made their way from each piece to the next. Artists proudly stood next to their work and engaged with their potential customers, happy to discuss their creations.

Erina made her way to the head table where her father and grandfather were already seated. Senzaemon Nakiri stood up and greeted his granddaughter warmly, "My dear, you look lovely! How are you feeling?" Erina drew a shaky breath but replied confidently, "Never better. I'm excited to prove to everyone that I am ready for this challenge." Her father, Azami Nakiri, stayed seated and responded, "I should hope so. All our biggest investors are here tonight. Try to engage with as many as you can; be your usual charming self, daughter." Erina nodded obediently, "Yes, father." Azami scanned the ballroom with his eyes and found who he was looking for. "Ah, if it isn't Erina's betrothed!" He exclaimed as Eishi approached him, shaking his hand. The blonde involuntarily winced at her father's comment and stared coldly at Eishi, because of course he had brought his shadow with him. Rindo smiled energetically at the group, looking amazing in a plunging red dress. "This is some shindig, huh?!" She laughed as she shook hands with the other men before facing Erina. "You certainly are a wonderful party planner."

Erina's eyes burned with fury and hatred; she wasn't just a party planner! She took care of a million other things at the foundation and was their secret weapon in finding new hidden talent! But of course, Rindo knew that-she was just good at pushing buttons, and she knew it. Erina couldn't wait to get on that stage and see the stunned look on the smug girl's face once she was named VP. She would get her moment. For right now, she decided to be the bigger person. Erina squashed down the urge to pounce and gave her a polite (albeit fake) smile. She choked out, "Thank you. I hope you enjoy yourself tonight."

The group indulged in small talk around the table until Erina spotted her friends walking in with their dates. She waved them over and Alice greeted her uncle and grandfather warmly while Hisako gave polite bows. They introduced Ryo Kurokiba and Akira Hayama to the group and settled into their chairs. Hayama whispered over to Hisako once the group had started chatting again, "Why is Erina here? Does she do work for the foundation?" Hisako gawked open mouthed at her date before remembering no one from last Saturday's party knew who Erina was. The sculptor continued, "And why is she sitting here with the head of the family? I didn't realize her recruiter position was that important." Hisako managed to stutter out, "H-Hehe you see, she's actually more than a recruiter… She's the President's daughter."

Hayama choked on his drink and stared at Erina more intensely than he meant to. Erina could feel his gaze on her and she stared back, her eyebrow cocked inquisitively. Hayama never broke eye contact as he leaned over to Alice's date and whispered something to him. Erina watched as a flicker of surprise passed his face and soon, Kurokiba was watching her with the same intensity. It was like both of them were seeing her for the first time. _What the fu—Oh._ Erina's mind finally made the connection and she sighed, nodding imperceptibly to the boys as if to confirm what they heard. Obviously, Soma would have told them her lie. How stupid could she have been to think she could get away with it!

Alice's sixth sense could tell something was going on, but no one was saying anything! She pouted and crossed her arms, "Would someone please explain why you guys got all weird all of a sudden?" Hayama answered smoothly, "Kurokiba and I were just remembering how lucky we were to be sitting at the head table with the President and his _family_." His extra emphasis on the word coupled with his glance at her cousin finally made it click, and Alice's eyes widened as she too remembered the lie. She grinned slyly, thinking, _It's better this came out now. Erina's a terrible liar!_

Azami Nakiri smiled politely, saying any friends of his family's were friends of his. "You are not only in the company of the President though. My lovely daughter here is the new Vice President of our foundation. Isn't that right, Erina?" All eyes turned to her and she felt her mouth go dry. She nodded quickly. Her only consolation was the dumb look on Rindo's face, clearly shocked by the news. Kurokiba whistled under his breath, laughing to himself as he thought, _Yukihira_ _really knows how to pick 'em._

Erina felt like her head was spinning and she needed to get out of there. She hastily excused herself to use the restroom and sped toward the exit. People had already begun dancing in the center of the ballroom to soft classical music and she weaved through them, heading towards the ladies' room. Suddenly, she saw a familiar face. Joichiro Saiba had arrived and was setting up his beautiful display of paintings. Erina's heart leapt as she saw her favorite painter; it had been years since she'd been able to see one of his works in person. In fact, he was the reason she had become interested in art in the first place. When she was a young girl, he had painted a mural for her on her bedroom wall of a gorgeous castle straight out of a fairytale, just so she could pretend to be a princess. She loved it with all her heart, and he had told her maybe one day she would find a prince for it. At the time, she had wanted him to be that prince! She blushed thinking of how childish she'd been, pining after a man over 20 years her senior. Now she truly just admired his work as an artist. She had been hunting the world for another talent like his for as long as she could remember but no one had ever come close.

She approached him hesitantly, as a nervous fan would approach a celebrity. As soon as he saw her, a giant smile lit up his face. "Well, if it isn't little Erina Nakiri!" He laughed and came towards her. "How are you, kiddo?" It took everything he had not to ruffle her hair like he did with his own son. She beamed excitedly and admitted, "I can't believe you remember me! It's been so long, Saiba-sama. I hope all is well." She peeked at the paintings he had put on display and their beauty nearly brought tears to her eyes. His talent was just as she remembered. "Everything's great! Work is going well, and my son is finally working too…" he trailed off as he watched her become entranced by a collection next to his. It was incredible. "Ah, you like these?" He asked, a hint of a smile on his face. She nodded, "These aren't yours though." It would have been impossible for someone without her God's Eye to tell, but it was quite obvious to Erina. While much of the style was similar, the brush strokes were different, and the overall collection was messier and rawer than her idol's handiwork. The person who painted these was inexperienced but had tremendous talent nonetheless.

Joichiro chuckled and exclaimed, "Oh, right in time! Erina, I'm happy to introduce you to the guy who painted this collection: my bratty son."

Erina's heart stopped as she saw him. She knew those golden eyes.

* * *

"S-Soma? I don't understand, what are you doing here?" Her mind was going a mile a minute. "Are you catering this event?" She asked, sure she must have misheard her hero.

Soma froze in his place. He was just about to bring out the painting he had been working on all week when he had seen her. _What is she doing here?!_ He had planned on telling her the truth eventually, but not like this!

Joichiro stared confusedly, "Catering? No, he's an artist just like his old man!" He grinned widely, throwing an arm around his son and giving him a noogie. Soma wrestled out of his dad's arms and tried his best to fix his hair while controlling the pounding in his chest. _Well, no point hiding it now._ He tried to speak but words failed him.

"So, you're not a chef…?" Erina tried to clarify, irritated at Joichiro's burst of laughter at the word 'chef'. "Are you kidding me? My son messed up cereal once!" He doubled over from laughing so much and continued listing all the things Soma couldn't cook. Erina glared at Soma, furious at him for lying to her.

She whipped around and began making her way back towards the exit when she felt Soma's hand around her wrist, twirling her around to face him. "I'm sorry!" He exclaimed. They were now in the middle of the dance floor and people were staring. He pulled her close to him and began dancing, dragging her along with him to the steps of the waltz. "Hey!" She tried to pull away, but he didn't let her. "I'm not letting you go until you hear me out. And then you can storm out of here if you want." She pouted but let him continue leading her on the dance floor. "I'm really sorry I lied to you when we met. I didn't mean to, honestly! It just kinda came out. I'm so used to people not taking me seriously as soon as they hear I'm an artist and I didn't want that to happen with you. You have no idea how often I hear that I should get a real job and stop wasting my time on a pipe dream. I know that's no excuse, but I hope you can forgive me." She glanced up at him, unable to resist the sincerity in his voice. She was about to respond, when she felt a cold hand on her back.

"Mind if I cut in?" Eishi had stepped in, hoping to get a dance from Erina. She was much less likely to say no in front of someone else. Soma stared, at another loss for words. "Eishi Tsukasa?! The famous painter? Wow, man, it's such an honor to meet you! I had no idea you'd be here!" Soma shook the white-haired man's hand and grinned amiably. Eishi smiled and replied, "Thank you, it's a pleasure to meet you as well. And it is only natural that I would attend my girlfriend's event." He chuckled good-naturedly. "So, about that dance…?" He had already turned back to Erina, completely forgetting about Soma.

"Wait, girlfriend?" Soma asked, not understanding. His eyes moved from the possessive way Eishi's hand was on Erina's back to the guilty look on her face. "Wow," he scoffed, as he put two and two together. "Yeah, she's all yours, buddy." He dropped his hands and began walking away as Erina hissed out his name, not wanting to make a scene. He couldn't resist and faced her once more. He spoke lowly so that only she could hear him, "I can't believe you had the nerve to get pissed at me for lying about my job when you-" He stopped. He had obviously read more into the kiss than she had meant him to. It was just a dumb birthday dare. "You know, I really thought you were different. But it turns out you're just like every other girl." Purple clashed with gold as neither of them knew what to say next. Neither of them had to though, as Azami Nakiri began speaking on the stage.

"Welcome, everyone, to our foundation's annual ball. We are so happy to have you all here tonight to celebrate the works of art by our incredibly talented artists. Let's give them a hand!" Everyone applauded appreciatively, and the artists gave little waves and bows of acknowledgement. "Furthermore, we have a new change in leadership. As the President of the Nakiri Art Foundation, but also as a dad," he paused for emphasis, "I am proud to announce that my daughter, Erina Nakiri, will become the new Vice President of this foundation!" The crowd gasped in surprise and began applauding even more at the news. The ambitious young woman had worked in every segment of the company, leading her to work with every client, artist, and investor they had. All had come to respect and admire her intelligence, tenacity, and opinion throughout their professional relationships with her. "Come on up here, Erina." He father suggested, clapping along with the rest.

Soma felt the eyes of everyone in the ballroom turn towards them. _Erina…Nakiri. Oh my god._

He felt like he was being pranked on a reality TV show. Soma's golden eyes pierced through her amethyst ones, and he nodded towards the stage. "You should go."

She hesitated but what could she do here in front of all these people? She shrugged Eishi's hand off of her and made her way towards the stage. She felt numb as she felt her father hug her and the sound of the crowd's applause sounded like it was coming from underwater. She tried to find Soma in the crowd and spotted him making his way back to his collection. He stared at her dead in the eyes from the opposite end of the room and it stung.

Erina wasn't sure how long she was on stage. She needed to go find Soma and explain herself! As soon as the music picked back up and couples began dancing, she flew off the stage as quickly as she could but was blocked by Hayama and Kurokiba. "Don't bother, he left." They said in unison, both sounding bored.

"He should've let me explain!" She started, and Kurokiba cut her off. "That was a pretty big lie. I'd give him some time before you talk to him. Or don't. Whatever." He shrugged and went back to his spot next to Alice. Hayama nodded, "He's going to need some time to cool off. He recently had a bad experience with someone lying to him so he's especially testy right now." Erina sniffed sadly but nodded.

The rest of the night was a blur. She danced when she had to, made small talk with investors, and thanked everyone all night for their congratulations. Once she got home, she allowed the hollow feeling in her stomach to grow. _He lied too!_ She tried to argue with herself, wanting to feel angry instead of guilty. She tossed and turned in her bed all night, unable to fall asleep.

* * *

The lack of sleep translated into a very grumpy blonde the next morning. In fact, something about her irritability did lessen her guilt over what had happened the night before. He ruined her event. His massive guilt-tripping ruined the incredibly delicious moment she was supposed to enjoy with her friends and family. Who was he to be upset over her not spilling her entire life's story?! They both lied about their careers, so that canceled out, and she certainly didn't owe him any details about her love life! He was a stranger! It wasn't her fault he assumed she had cheated! _Idiot!_ She fumed all morning, barking orders at servants with much more ferocity than they had come to know from her. Alice and Hisako had noticed she was more ill-tempered than usual as well and decided to steer clear of her until she was at her normal level of crossness.

When she finished terrorizing the chefs after breakfast, she marched back to her room and slammed the door. _His paintings weren't even that impressive! I spotted at least 14 technical flaws. No wonder he was embarrassed to tell me,_ she thought smugly. A pang of guilt hit her in the stomach as something within her gut told her that wasn't true. While his technique needed work, it was a flat out lie to say his paintings weren't good. They were awe-inspiring. She had been waiting for a talent like this since she had met his father when she was a child. She just hated that it had to come from him; the guy who made her feel so ashamed on her special night.

Erina pulled out her phone and began her search for him again, her obsession growing. Now she had the right information to find him. Almost instantly after pulling up her idol's Instagram page, she found Soma tagged in one of his photos. She smirked as she read his username: JustSomArtist. She hit herself on the forehead, _Not cute! Stupid!_ Wow, he had thousands of followers. She clicked on the most recent photo dated one week ago and her heart raced. It was the group photo they had taken at her birthday party last week. None of her friends had been tagged which was why it hadn't popped up on her feed. The caption read, 'Night out with new friends!' and her heart ached as she thought of how she'd felt a week ago towards him. She kept scrolling to find photos of his artwork. She hated to admit that each one was amazing, pushing the boundaries of conventional perfect art in ways she knew her father would disapprove of. It was even more impressive that he had mastered so many mediums. He could paint, draw, sculpt, and weld. Once in a while there would be the random picture of him looking roguishly charming. She found herself staring at a selfie of him grinning at the camera covered in paint with the caption, 'When you fall asleep at work' and she couldn't help but smile. Her smile vanished however, as she read the comments from thousands of very vulgar girls. _Disgusting! How can they post these things online for anyone to see?!_

She quickly closed out of the app before risking accidentally liking one of his photos and threw herself down on her bed. Just as she was about to convince herself it wasn't her fault for the millionth time, her phone rang. "Erina," her father's authoritative voice came through the speaker, "Come to the study."

* * *

She closed the door to the study and walked in. Her father was sitting commandingly in his chair behind his desk, hands folded. His gaze was penetrating, and she shifted uncomfortably, unsure if she should break the silence. "Is everything alright, daughter?" He finally asked, cocking his head. "You seem to be in poor spirits. Is the stress of the new position already getting to you?" A hint of mocking slipped through and Erina caught it. "No, father. Everything is fine." She avoided his fierce gaze by staring at her feet. "Really? Because I've heard from our staff today that you have been an absolute nightmare. Is that any way to treat our hardworking employees? What could possibly be weighing so heavily on your soul? You have a loving family, have a prestigious position at a wonderful company, and have a devoted boyfriend."

Erina openly scoffed at the mention of her 'boyfriend' and her father's eyebrow twitched. "Is that amusing to you? Eishi Tsukasa is the perfect boyfriend. He is respectful, prompt, and most importantly, talented. One day he will make a wonderful husband and I'm sure you will grow to love him." Azami stated indifferently.

Erina's head snapped up, eyes filled with fury. Her mind was completely clouded over by anger. "There's more to people than just talent, father! Eishi is talented, but that isn't enough for me." Her pulse raced as she realized she had just spoken back to her father for the first time. His cold eyes bore into her soul and he challenged, "Oh, is that right? You did not have any objections when I first introduced the idea, nor the last few months you have been together. Why the sudden change?"

Images of his red hair and golden eyes popped into her brain and she shoved them down. _No, this has nothing to do with him! I need to end this for myself._

Her voice quivered as she spoke, "It isn't a sudden change. It's how I've felt for a long time, I just have not been able to express these feelings to you. But now, I think it's time to end things with Eishi. It isn't fair to either of us to continue pretending. He can finally be happy with Rindo," she couldn't help but scowl as she said her name, "and maybe I can find someone for myself…" She finished quietly. Her father said nothing. Just to break the silence, she added, "Besides, he knows our foundation is the only one with the right connections to further his career. He would not be foolish enough to go somewhere else. Our arrangement isn't necessary anymore." She waited. The only noise in the office came from the ticking of the grandfather clock. After what seemed like an eternity, her father smiled ominously. "Oh, my precious daughter. You are still so young, and you have so much to learn. I will forgive this outburst as it was your first and you are clearly emotional. However, I do not accept your request. Do not forget who runs this family. You will do what I say, when I say it. You will continue to date this man and you will get married on my command. Eishi Tsukasa is one of the few artists in the world who still adheres to the rules of perfect art. He will be my successor."

Erina couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Your successor? He gets to take over the company? What about me? I'm the Vice President now. Naturally, when you step down, I should be the one to take over." Her fear faded as frustration took over.

Her father chuckled sinisterly, "You thought I named you Vice President because of your capabilities? No no, that was just for the board of directors. It looks like we have a strong family this way. I'm sorry Erina, but you are still a child, and I honestly doubt you will ever be ready to carry the burden that comes with the President's position. I'm only thinking of you and the foundation our family has worked so hard to build."

He glanced at her stunned face and waved her off with his hand, "The man you marry will become President, and I have taken the appropriate steps to ensure this company's future. You'll see that this is for the best. Oh and Erina, please shut the door behind you on your way out."

* * *

Soma had just gotten back from the gym. The disappointment from last night couldn't be painted away as he usually did whenever he was feeling down. Instead, he had gone to gym and taken out his frustration on a punching bag he named Eishi. He was going to be very sore tomorrow.

 _She has a boyfriend._ Those were the only words Soma had been able to think since he had left the ball. He could look past the job thing, as he had done the same thing to her and was sure she had her reasons. But he couldn't overlook this. Even if it was some stupid dare for her birthday, she had a boyfriend. He was mainly pissed at himself for thinking it was something more. He'd hoped that even if she hadn't been dared, she would have been interested in him. He felt like such a fucking idiot. It was just a game to her and he was the pawn she used to entertain herself.

His phone vibrated again: another text from the guys asking if he was okay. He ignored it again, still not ready to talk. Instead, his fingers flew across his keyboard unconsciously and he found himself searching for her. Knowing her last name made it much easier to find her and as soon as he hit enter, the search box pulled up millions of hits about the Nakiri Art Foundation. He found her Instagram with ease, along with a few fan accounts. All of her posts were work-related, he noted. Most were taken at some fancy event with her looking like a princess, like she did last night. As he scrolled, he caught a glimpse of white hair and froze. There was Eishi with his arm around Erina at one of his art showings. She looked stiff and her smile was noticeably tense. Soma frowned, unable to keep the jealousy from rising within him. He looked for more photos of them, each one with Erina looking uneasily at the camera. _It doesn't even look like she likes him…_

Suddenly, the intercom buzzed, letting Soma know someone needed to come in. He buzzed them in and wondered who it could be. Frantic pounding came at his door and he unlocked it hastily, revealing a crying Megumi. "Soma-kun!" She exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around him tightly. "Tadokoro? What's going on, is everything okay?" Soma began to panic as he unwrapped himself from her grip. "I heard what happened last night! I'm so sorry! I should have been here sooner to comfort you!" Megumi continued to apologize needlessly and rambled on and on about how she should have been a better friend. She shoved some Tupperware in his hands, "Here! Have you eaten today? Takumi made this for you!"

Despite his foul mood, nobody comforted him quite like his best friend. He thanked her for the food and began to microwave it, motioning for her to sit down. "Tell me what happened, Soma-kun." Megumi said gently. The redhead sighed, "So it turns out we have a ton in common, including the fact that we're both liars." He laughed sarcastically. "Her full name? Erina Nakiri. Oh and she's actually the new Vice President of the Nakiri Art Foundation." The watercolorist's eyes popped out of her head, and she looked like she was going to faint. "And to top it all off, she has a boyfriend. Eishi Tsukasa." Megumi gasped in surprise at the well-known man's name. "Oh no… That must've been awful. I'm so sorry you had to go through that," she murmured. "I know you really liked her."

Soma shrugged nonchalantly, "It is what it is. I guess it's better that I found out now before I fell harder."

Megumi sighed, "What if she broke up with her boyfriend?"

Soma shook his head, "I don't know if she even likes me like that. I thought I had a chance last week but now looking at the type of guy she's into? I'm nowhere near Eishi's level! Who knows, we may even run into each other for work and stuff but apart from that, I'm pretty sure nothing will ever happen between us." He sunk down on the couch and passed Megumi a plate of heated up lasagna. "I should've been a chef," he commented absentmindedly. "I bet they never have drama."


	5. Chapter 5

"Please, Erina, it will be fun! I can't go alone, I'm too nervous!" Hisako begged her friend to come along with her to an art festival in a nearby park. "Why are you nervous?! You've been alone with him before!" Erina tried to grab her arm back but Hisako was surprisingly strong. "This is different! This will be our third date! What if he tries to kiss me?!" Erina couldn't help but smile. "Do you want to kiss him?" She asked, laughing at the blush that spread across her friend's face. Hisako only stuttered, ignoring her, "Just come! I promise _he who must not be named_ won't be there!"

Hayama swore that Soma wouldn't be coming as he had already made plans with his dad that day. It had been one week since the fiasco at the ball, and Erina was still feeling touchy at the sound of his name. To her immense displeasure, it came up enough, now that Alice and Hisako were both seeing boys within his friend group.

Upon hearing he wouldn't be there, she hesitantly agreed to go. "This is silly though. Sooner or later you're going to have to be alone with him." Hisako turned pale but nodded. "Thank you! You're the best friend ever!" She affectionately hugged her friend and Erina giggled, rolling her eyes.

The art festival was in full swing. The little booths had been set up along the trail in the park, and each one was cute and unique in its own way. They walked down the winding path, passing booths selling a variety of creations, like sculptures, jewelry, and even wind chimes. Erina breathed in the fresh air and smiled politely in greeting at the tall tan man approaching her and Hisako.

"Hey," Hayama smiled back at them, pulling Hisako in for a hug. She blushed profusely and whimpered back a hello. "I think Kurokiba and Alice are around here somewhere." Erina nodded in confirmation. Alice had mentioned she wanted to check it out, which meant she definitely dragged her poor intern along with her. Erina desperately wanted to go find them, as she felt like being a 5th wheel was somehow better than being a 3rd wheel.

Suddenly, Hayama and Hisako's jaws dropped.

"Hey! I made it!"

 _Oh no._

Erina stayed completely still as adrenaline began rushing through her body. Her fight-or-flight instincts were kicking in, but which would she choose?

She could only see the horrified look on Hisako's face as Hayama pushed past them to greet the person behind her. "What are you doing here? I thought you said you weren't coming?" Hayama anxiously asked. The nervousness in his voice alerted Soma that something was wrong- Hayama was never jumpy. Soma gave him a confused look, "My dad bailed this morning. I should've known he was gonna skip out on me like he usually does!" Soma laughed as he recalled the text he'd received that morning that read 'Sorry squirt, just got commissioned to paint the Queen of England's portrait. I'll be back in a week or two!'

Soma was used to this kind of behavior from his dad, but that didn't stop the rest of his friends from thinking it was weird. "It's cool that I came right? I mean I didn't have to buy a ticket or anything?" He looked past his friend and saw Hisako there, looking like she had seen a ghost. "Hey!" Soma called out cheerfully. "Sorry to interrupt your date—" He began, as he noticed the long blonde hair.

 _Oh no._

"You have got to be kidding me," Soma murmured under his breath as he stared in disbelief at Hayama. The sculptor shot him an apologetic look, his eyes screaming _You said you wouldn't be here!_

He sighed and slowly approached the girls. "Hey." It was better to just address her head-on and not make this any more awkward than it had to be. Hisako murmured "Hello," while Erina said nothing. Her hand was rubbing the bridge of her nose out of frustration and Soma could see she was as distressed as he was. After a few moments of tense silence, Hayama clapped his hands together and said, "Well, I think we're going to go check out the booths over there." And before anyone was able to utter a single syllable, he had dragged Hisako off with him.

Soma and Erina stood in the path, letting the crowd move around them. "So," Soma began uncomfortably. "Anything you want to say to me?" Erina glared and spat out defensively, "No! Anything you want to say to me?!" The redhead retorted, "I already apologized! You were the one who has yet to apologize for not one, but **two** lies!" She knew he was right, but her ego was too hurt. Almost out of instinct, she scoffed back, "I don't owe you anything. You don't know me, and I have nothing to say a second-rate artist like you!" She regretted these words as soon as they were out, but it was too late. She had to hold her ground now, even if she was wrong. "Second-rate? Excuse me? You haven't even seen my work!" Soma stared at her, baffled at this girl's audacity. "I saw your work at the ball, idiot! It was right next to your father's! By the way, are you sure you're even biologically related? There's no way someone like you has the same genes of someone of his caliber." She shot back derisively. She was lying through her teeth and she knew it. However, the growing sense of satisfaction from seeing him angry kept her going. "Looking at your art felt like someone was throwing a steaming pile of garbage on me!" Soma threw his head back laughing, "Holy shit, who made you the queen of art?!" This girl had some nerve. His competitive nature won out over his irritated side though. He would get her approval if it killed him. "Just you wait, I promise I'll make you say my paintings are a work of art!" He declared fiercely, earning curious looks from bystanders. "Never!" She flicked her hair over her shoulder and whirled around.

Soma could feel his frustration pulsing in every vein. He hated feeling this way, especially towards the girl that inspired him to start painting again. He waited until all the anger had left his body before addressing her again. Soma took a deep breath and said, "Listen, I wasn't mad about the job thing—I mean I was, but I could forgive you for that since I had done the same thing." He laughed a little, surprising her with his calmness. She turned around to face him. "I had time to think, and I'm sure you had your reasons. I bet the life of a VP is rough. The thing that threw me off was the fact that you have a boyfriend." Erina began to argue, but Soma continued quickly, "And I know you didn't technically lie about that since we never actually talked about it, and the whole kiss thing was just a dare, so I obviously misread this whole thing." He ran a hand through his hair, embarrassed to admit that. "So, if you can forgive me for lying and blowing up at you, I can do the same." Erina was shocked. She hadn't expected this from him at all. But then again, she supposed she really didn't know this man at all. He just looked tired as he stuck out his hand as a sign of friendship.

After a few moments of silence, Erina suspiciously shook his hand back and stated flatly, "I suppose I'm sorry too. I should have told you I was a Nakiri, and I apologize for lying about my position in the company. I wasn't in the right state of mind. I guess I thought it would be easier than going into my complicated life. And by the way, even though it's none of your business, he wasn't my boyfriend!"

Soma gave her an incredulous look, "Erina, I already said it was fine—"

She cut him off and dove right into the rant she had been trying to avoid that drunken night, starting with her father's plan to essentially buy Eishi and finishing with how she'd finally stood up to her dad. Soma stood, speechless. If his father had ever treated him that way, he would've lost it a long time ago. "I'm so sorry that happened to you. I had no idea." He shook his head angrily. She waved him off, "It's fine. There was no way you could have known. It's kind of hard to get to know someone when you have to yell over the music."

Soma chuckled in agreement. "Well, I'm glad I can get to know you now," he said sincerely. "So we're cool?" She smiled, nodding hesitantly. He was starting to see glimpses of the girl he had met that night on her birthday. "But seriously, you put up with all that drama with your dad and Eishi for months? What made you finally stand up for yourself?" He asked.

She paused. She was sure he could see right through her. "I don't know. Just the idea that I was wasting my time in this fake relationship when maybe there's someone else out there for me." She saw him smile out of the corner of her eye. "Idiot! Are you laughing at me? There are 4 billion men on this earth, of course someone might want to date me!" Soma couldn't help but laugh, "I didn't say there wasn't! I'm sure you'll find the right guy."

They decided to start walking and they strolled by the booths leisurely, peering into the ones that looked interesting. "See anything you like?" Soma asked, as he glanced around at the booth's paintings. Erina shook her head, "I think I've been spoiled by being surrounded by professionals my entire life. I can spot at least 34 flaws in this collection." Soma eyed her suspiciously for a few moments before his face exploded with excitement. "Holy shit, are you God's Eye?!"

Erina screeched, "Shut up! Say that any louder and we'll be jumped by all these artists!" Soma couldn't contain his excitement and he bounced up and down like a puppy. "I've heard of you! There are all these rumors online about the Nakiri family's secret weapon, aka God's Eye, but no one's ever revealed their identity! This is so crazy, you really are the queen of art!" He began drilling her with a million questions and she pulled him away from the booth and dragged him towards a nearby tree off the path. "You need to be quiet! Why do you think nobody knows who I am? If artists knew, they'd be constantly pulling out their best work to impress me and that's not how it works. One canvas is like a snapshot of a movie. I need to see everything in order to accurately judge their work."

"Now I have to make you say my work is good!" Soma exclaimed excitedly, "I know I can impress you!" Erina couldn't help but grin at his enthusiasm. She stated coldly, "Don't get your hopes up. I do not show mercy to my artists. And don't think just because you know the new vice president you'll get a job at my foundation." Soma's eyes gleamed rebelliously, as he declared, "I don't need connections to make my way in this world. If I'm going to make it as an artist, I'm going to earn it on my own. Why do you think you never saw me at any of your other events with my dad?" It was a good point. She had to admit she was impressed, albeit a little sad, because if he had come to one of those events, they would have met a lot sooner.

After she felt he had calmed down enough, they wandered back down the main trail.

"So, what's your specialty? Painting?" She asked, genuinely curious after seeing all his artwork on his Instagram page. He shrugged and admitted, "Not sure yet. I think it is but I still really like messing around with other mediums. My friends each have their own 'thing' and they let me practice with them, so I feel like I get to play around with each one and develop my own style." _That explains it. He draws inspiration from his friends._

They passed a hot dog cart and Soma's stomach growled. "You hungry?"

He bought them two hot dogs and some cotton candy, and they made their way to a picnic table. "Oh man, I haven't had cotton candy in ages!" He said excitedly as he let the wispy candy dissolve on his tongue. "The first time I had it, I dropped it and tried to wash it. You can guess what happened after that." He grinned sheepishly, causing Erina to laugh. "Let me guess, this was recent?" She teased, and he joked back, "Yeah, this was like last month." His heart skipped a beat watching her giggle and he couldn't help but grin.

"When I was younger I thought chocolate milk came from brown cows exclusively," she admitted, and Soma thought that was the most adorable thing he'd ever heard. She didn't really know why she had told him that. Something about him was warm and inviting, and she found herself continuing to share details of her life she would never tell a practical stranger.

After they had finished eating, Soma asked the question he'd been dying to ask, "So, does God's Eye have any artistic ability besides judging?"

Erina hesitated, then fished out a pen from her purse. She grabbed the napkin beside her and stared intently at Soma. Not even 20 seconds later, she had finished her sketch of him. It was incredible; the likeness and amount of detail she had managed to include should have been impossible in that amount of time. Soma grabbed the napkin and gaped at her. "You're amazing! This is the best sketch I've ever seen! Do you sell your own stuff to clients?" Erina shook her head, "Father won't let me become an artist. He says it would be a conflict of interest if I worked for the foundation, and it would make him look bad if I worked for another competing company." Soma was beginning to hate this guy more and more, but he said nothing. She told him about how strict her father was when it came to the rules, and how he only believed in representing artists who met his standards. "His perfect world would be one where artists abided by rules, like the ones about complementary colors or negative space."

Soma asked, "Where's the fun in that though? To me, rules should be more like suggestions. What's the point of art if you can't color outside the lines a little?" He winked.

They kept walking and decided to make a little game out of it. They picked out at least one item from each booth and discussed it, trading opinions. Soma was fascinated by her incredible ability. She could point out all the flaws in a piece, state exactly how to fix it to make it perfect, and she could even tell what the artist had been feeling just from a glance at the brushstrokes. Erina was always surprised by Soma's acute observations as well, and she found that she enjoyed hearing his comments on what made the piece work in his eyes. It was never because of some rule on perfect art, but always because it elicited some emotion from him. To Soma, art didn't have to be perfect or even beautiful; it just had to make the viewer feel something real.

They continued pointing out their favorite pieces until a jewelry stand caught Erina's eye. She gazed at the shiny trinkets on display, and the old woman who created them told them how each piece had been handmade by her and her daughter. Erina's gaze fell upon a gold bracelet with small red jewels. Before she could stop him, Soma had picked it up off the table and purchased it. As he watched her pout, he clasped it around her wrist and exclaimed, "Don't give me that look! You were practically drooling over it. Besides," he raised a lock of her long golden hair to his own red hair, "It's just like us!" He grinned playfully.

Erina stared down at her wrists. Her left was adorned with expensive white diamonds fit for a princess. Her right held the strong gold chain with rubies that reflected the sun like fire. Soma self-consciously rubbed the back of his neck, "I guess it's not much compared to your other one. We can return it if you want."

"Don't you dare!" Erina barked, clutching her wrist to her chest. She added reprovingly, "It would be rude to take back a gift." The boy smiled and lifted his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, geez. You know, I had no idea sober Erina was so feisty," he joked. "I like it though. It suits you."

She smirked, "Too bad you already agreed to be my friend before getting to know the real me. I hope you don't regret it." Soma smiled but said nothing. He would never regret meeting her.

They made their way through the entire art festival, finally meeting up with their friends at the end. "There you are!" Alice exclaimed gleefully, skipping to meet her cousin. She hugged her and took the opportunity to whisper, "I'm glad you didn't kill each other. Tell me everything later!" Hisako approached Erina as well and practically threw herself down at her feet, begging for forgiveness for leaving her alone with Soma. Soma greeted the guys, both of which had been weighed down by Alice's shopping bags.

Since Erina had ridden there with Hisako, she turned to say goodbye to her new friend. "Well, I'm glad we got to see each other again to clear the air," she said politely. Soma grinned, "Yeah, me too. This was a lot of fun." Neither of them made any attempt to move, not quite ready to end the day. Hisako called over to her and Erina internally groaned. She didn't want to say goodbye yet. As she reluctantly turned and walked to the car, Soma called out, "You know, I can just take you home if you want?" The blonde nearly jumped at the thought of more time with him but controlled herself, and feebly turned him down, saying it was too much of a burden. Soma grinned, claiming it wasn't a bother at all. Erina tried her best to look neutral, but her excited smile slipped through. "Well, if you insist," and she yelled over to Hisako to let her know she would be riding back with Soma.

He led her to his ride in the parking lot, where there stood a shining black motorcycle. "Hop on!" Soma encouraged her, passing the spare helmet. Erina eyed the motorcycle nervously; she'd always wanted to ride one, but her father had been strictly opposed to anything that might put her in danger. Soma sensed her hesitation and teased, "What, are you scared?" These were the magic words apparently, as Erina grabbed the helmet and jumped on behind him. "As if!" She yelled, as Soma peeled out of the parking lot.

The ride was perfect. Erina had never felt such an adrenaline rush before in her life. She loved the feeling of flying down the road with the wind in her hair. She definitely didn't mind having an excuse to hold on tight to Soma either. Once they had finally pulled up to her mansion, she unsteadily got off the bike and handed him back her helmet. "Thank you for the ride," she smiled nervously.

"Anytime! By the way, we should trade numbers!" Soma proposed, wanting some way to ensure he would see her again. He teased, "I know it's going to be tempting to blow up my phone with 'When am I going to see your art?!' and stuff but try to refrain." She rolled her eyes and grabbed his phone, putting her number in. "If you really want me to come judge your work, I will. I should warn you though, I never turn down an opportunity to make a grown man cry," she threatened seductively. Soma smirked at her boldness, "I'd like to see you try. Come over anytime and I promise my art will impress you."

He started his bike back up and yelled over the engine, "And if you ever feel inclined, you should totally let me paint you!" Erina's eyes widened and she shoved him, "Pervert! What makes you think I would ever model for you?!" Soma just sighed exaggeratedly, "Wishful thinking I guess!" and shot her a wink before speeding off.


	6. Chapter 6

"Ryo!" Alice sang as she dried herself off and wrapped a towel around her. She allowed the hot steam from her shower to follow her into her bedroom, plopping down on the bed next to her boyfriend, not even slightly embarrassed by the fact that she was half naked. They had been dating for a few weeks now and their relationship had progressed very quickly. They complemented each other perfectly, and even in such a short time, Alice felt like she had found her missing second half.

She smiled mischievously, "So, I've been thinking. You know how I have to go to Denmark for that museum opening?"

He nodded suspiciously, and she continued, "Well now that we're dating, I'm going to miss you too much to leave you here!"

Ryo cocked an eyebrow at his boss/girlfriend. "What are you suggesting?"

She walked her fingers up his arm playfully and giggled, "You should come with me! As your boss, I can assure you it'll be a great opportunity for you to meet people. And as your girlfriend, I think it would be fun to show you around Denmark and have you meet my parents!"

At this, Ryo noticeably stiffened and replied dryly, "I've already been to Denmark. I don't want to go back."

Alice pouted and crossed her arms over the towel, "You've been? When?"

He answered gruffly, "I grew up there. I don't have great memories, so I don't want to go back."

Alice's jaw dropped in shock and she exclaimed, "You're from Denmark?! How did I not know this? We have so much in common!" She squealed in delight and gripped his strong arm, "Please, it'll be so much fun if we go together, I promise!" She mustered up her best puppy dog eyes and looked up at him expectantly. His face remained impassive as stone.

She huffed internally, annoyed that her red eyes didn't do their magic on him. _I don't know why I try that around him, it never works._ _Time for plan B I guess…_

Alice placed a hand on his upper thigh and his eyes instantly widened. She gave him a seductive smile and slowly leaned in until her face was inches away from Ryo's. The towel around her chest had loosened slightly, and he did his best not to look at her impressive cleavage, which was still damp from her shower. She lifted her other hand to sweetly run her fingers through his dark hair. He kept his vision locked on her ruby red eyes as she murmured softly, "We could make new memories to replace the old ones."

He could smell the strawberry shampoo in her hair and felt her warm breath tickle him as she leaned in to softly kiss his neck. She left gentle kisses from the crook of his neck up to his ear, where she whispered, "Say you'll join me."

She traced his jaw with light kisses until she met his lips. A ghost of a kiss touched his lips and he closed his eyes instinctively and leaned in, but not before she pulled away teasingly. She slowly moved her hand up his thigh until he growled in response. She whispered again, "Come with me, Ryo."

He didn't miss the double entendre. Ryo roughly pulled her towards him and captured her lips in a passionate kiss, relishing the feel of her smooth skin under his warm hands.

"Fine, we can go," he muttered once they had come up for air.

Alice squealed in delight, "Wonderful! It's going to be so fun!"

The corner of his mouth barely lifted, but it was a smile nonetheless. He was glad she was happy, and he would do damn near anything to make sure she was. "We leave next week," she instructed, leaving a chaste kiss on his nose. She turned to get up, but Ryo pulled her back down towards him, asking, "Where do you think you're going?"

She grinned as she felt his hands tug on the knot that held her towel up. "I suppose you deserve some compensation," she said coolly, wrapping her arms around his neck.

As Ryo ran his hands over her exposed skin, he smirked, "If I get this kind of treatment every time, I'll follow you anywhere."

* * *

The next morning, Erina was in her office finishing up some paperwork when her phone rang. She glanced at the caller ID and her heart skipped a beat.

"H-hello?"

Soma's cheery voice rang through the speaker, "Yo, Erina! What's up?"

"Just at work," she stated obviously, confused by why he was calling her. "Did you need something?"

"I just wanted to know if you wanted to swing by my studio today. I still haven't given up on making you like my work!"

Erina smiled and leaned back in her chair. She replied evenly, "Is that so? While I admire the dedication, I don't think I have time to crush your dreams today. I'll be here until late in the evening."

He offered back without hesitation, "Just come late then. I'll keep it open for you." She could somehow feel see his cocky grin through the phone and it made her blush.

Erina twirled a strand of hair between her fingers absentmindedly, sighing, "Special treatment will get you nowhere. But I suppose that would be fine… 8 work for you?"

Soma agreed, "Sounds great. See you then!"

Erina hung up, smiling from ear to ear. _What is wrong with me? Why am I so excited when I'm with him?_

She tried her best to shake it off, but the rest of the day passed by in a fog. She couldn't stop thinking about the last time they'd seen each other at the art fair. How passionate he'd been looking at the different pieces. How adorably excited he'd become after finding out her hidden talent. And of course, how he'd bought her the beautiful red and gold bracelet that currently hung on her wrist.

After one too many meetings, it was finally time to leave. She did her best to freshen up in the bathroom, but it did little to change her appearance. Luckily, she always looked amazing, she thought confidently as she did a final check. Erina called a car to take her from the office to the address Soma had texted her.

* * *

They pulled up in front of a small and modest looking studio called Yukihira. It seemed she'd arrived at the studio just in time, as dark and stormy clouds loomed threateningly above. She reached the door just as the first raindrops hit the concrete sidewalk. _I wonder if Saiba-sama is here as well,_ she thought excitedly as she tried to peer through the windows, but the inside was too dim to see anything.

As soon as she stepped in, she was floored by the incredible sight before her, and Erina's purple eyes drank in the overwhelming beauty that greeted her. The gallery was dim, but each painting was individually lit above by a golden light, allowing the colors to shine through the darkness. Every single work of art in Soma's gallery had such detail, skill, and beauty that Erina felt overwhelmed at the sight; her pulse raised, her breathing shallowed- her sensitive God's Eye wasn't used to so much raw talent in one area. She truly felt as though she would faint! Erina shimmied off her trench coat and took a few calming deep breaths, finally daring to open her eyes to admire his work once more.

Every wall was adorned with magnificent works of art; some large enough to cover half the wall, others miniscule and clustered together fashionably. Some were landscapes, some portraits, some abstract. She noted the eclectic variety of frames surrounding each painting as well. Galleries usually liked to show off their work without the frames or with a uniform frame in order to showcase the work itself. Here however, Soma had picked specific frames that only further complemented the individual painting, resulting in a beautiful explosion of color and texture throughout the gallery.

Erina's heels clicked on the marble floor as she strolled through the dim gallery, passing each impressive painting. Soma seemed to have heard her and he popped out from the back, greeting her familiarly as if they were old friends. She felt her heart beat a little faster as he promptly stopped in front of her, holding out his hands as if to showcase his creations. He shot her a lopsided smile, asking, "Soooo? What do you think?"

Erina grinned in response, but she couldn't let her guard down. She had already committed to an opinion, and her pride wouldn't let her backtrack! Besides, just because she _maybe_ liked this guy, it didn't mean she would go easy on him. Erina stated uninterestedly, "They're fine, I suppose. I've seen better." She peeked out of the corner of her eye to see if he was upset, but to her surprise, he only looked more fired up than before.

Soma smirked challengingly, "Just 'fine'? Come on, I need more than that!"

She continued her walk down the studio, stopping in front of each painting for a few moments and staring critically. To appease him, she gave a few compliments here and there but made sure to balance it out with constructive criticism- he didn't need his ego getting any bigger. Finally, Erina came to a halt in front of the collection she had seen at the ball. The one that was messy and raw and incredibly impressive. She let her eyes fall over the abstract paintings from left to right as they had been arranged and it was like they told a story.

From the left, the brushwork was more polished and refined, almost like each individual stroke had been placed with love. The colors were lighter and happier, and Erina could feel the joy Soma had felt when he painted it. As her eyes moved to the right, the paintings took a subtle but distinct turn. Darker colors, more layers of paint, heavier and faster brushstrokes. He'd been angry—no- _furious_ when he painted this. Her heart felt heavy and constricted, and it was difficult for her to breathe as she stared on.

Soma came to stand by Erina, watching her eye his work. She finally broke the silence. "Who broke up with who?"

The redhead blinked in surprise but quickly recovered, as he should've known the God's Eye would be able to see it. He muttered, "I broke up with her."

Erina nodded mutely in response, but something was off… There was so much anger in the paintings; if he broke up with her, why would he be the one to be upset?

The VP continued to admire them, entranced by the paintings. "These are wonderful," she admitted, forgetting about her promise to herself.

Soma smiled, "Thanks. This is the collection I showed off that night I got the good review."

Erina did her best to collect her emotions and she offered politely, "I can see why. It's impressive."

Soma egged her on encouragingly, "Dare I say, a masterpiece?"

She giggled and rolled her eyes, "Calm down, Picasso. You still have quite a long way to go. That being said, I see a lot of your father's talent in you."

He nodded appreciatively, "Yeah, he taught me everything I know. We've been painting together since I was a kid."

Erina smiled, thinking of the mural in her childhood bedroom. She couldn't believe he'd had a son at the time and never told her! Part of her wished Joichiro had brought Soma with him so they could have met earlier, but the other part didn't think she could handle it if Soma had seen her during her obsessive princess phase.

Suddenly, Erina's stomach growled, breaking her from her musing, and she clutched it embarrassingly. She hadn't had time to eat all day thanks to her endless meetings and she'd come straight from work!

The redhead laughed teasingly, "You hungry? I've got a ton of food here!"

Erina turned as red as a tomato and objected, "No, that's quite alright. I should just get going, I wouldn't want to impose."

Soma shook his head and waved off the notion that she was an inconvenience, "No, seriously, Megumi's constantly bringing me food from Takumi's restaurant and it's always enough to last an entire week. She thinks if she doesn't bring me food, I'll starve to death."

Erina smirked, "Ah, so Takumi is the real chef, I see."

He chuckled guiltily, "Yeah, he owns his own place nearby, Aldini Trattoria?"

Erina gasped in delight, "I love that restaurant! We use them to cater our events all the time!"

Soma grinned, "Seriously? That's awesome! Now you have to stay for dinner!"

She blushed but hesitantly nodded, accepting his dinner invitation.

Soma escaped towards the back room, leaving Erina in waiting. He came back after a few minutes with two plates of delicious-looking spaghetti Bolognese and a bottle of wine in hand. He faltered, looking around for a place to put them down. He dragged out the small folding table he normally used to serve small appetizers during his showings and shrugged apologetically.

Erina huffed, "Soma, this table is barely enough for one person!"

Soma put the food down, explaining, "Sorry, this is all I have here! It's just for snacks and stuff while people come in and out of the studio! We could always go upstairs to my place, but-"

The blonde's eyes widened in shock and she exclaimed hastily, "No, this is fine!" She sat down on one of the fold-out chairs he'd brought out from the back wordlessly and poured the wine with a shaking hand.

Soma merely chuckled, thinking, _she's cute when she's flustered._

* * *

As they ate in comfortable silence, Erina couldn't help but giggle to herself, feeling as though she were at some private dinner in the middle of an art museum; her eyes skimmed the exquisite paintings basking in their golden lights and she sighed in contentment as she finished off the last of her dinner. Not only was the setting beautiful, but the pattering of rain from outside coupled with the silence between the two as they ate was oddly comforting. Occasionally, she'd sneak a glance up to see him looking right back at her with a dopey smile on his face.

Soma smiled as he saw the petite girl had scarfed down all of her food in quite a short time. He asked, "So, how's the new position treating ya?"

Erina took a sip of her wine and replied confidently, "It's going well. I have a lot of new responsibilities, but nothing I can't manage. I suppose the part that takes the most getting used to is that my father no longer comes with me to all the appraisals and reviews I do."

Soma nodded appreciatively, "That's cool, so you can start taking the foundation in the direction you want with your own artists. Don't forget, there are plenty of artists out there who don't follow your father's 'perfect way', but they're worth looking into!"

Erina tensed up and murmured, "I can't go against him when it comes to this. He's very strict about who we admit and the way we screen our potential candidates."

Soma noticed her apprehension and suggested tentatively, "I get that, but this is your foundation too. I think you should get a chance to really mold it in the way you want. After all, you're probably gonna be the President one day, right?"

She grimaced and finished off the last drop of her wine before laughing dryly, "You'd think that, right? Apparently, that position is reserved for Eishi, my 'future husband'." Erina quickly blushed at her sudden announcement. Why had she admitted that?! Curse this stupid wine!

Soma's eyes widened in disbelief and he exclaimed, "Your dad's passing you up for President? Why?"

She grumbled bitterly, "I don't know, something about it being a burden? Maybe he just doesn't trust me as much as I thought."

Erina looked up to meet Soma's eyes, and the expression of nervousness on her face suddenly made Soma clench his fists in anger. The redhead felt fierce determination coursing through his veins at her obvious distress- this guy was really pissing him off.

Soma exclaimed boldly, "Then fuck it, if he doesn't trust you when you've done nothing to deserve it, you might as well have some fun with it. Do your reviews your own way. Find artists who really speak to you and make you believe in something. You have the chance to really mold the foundation into something even better than what it is! Don't let his rules stop you!"

Erina smirked, "Easier said than done. You don't know my father." She played with the rim of her glass absentmindedly and divulged, "I guess it would feel nice to just do whatever I want… I've never been the rebellious one; that was always Alice." She giggled reminiscing all the times Alice had gotten caught sneaking out past curfew and the blowout fights she'd gotten into with her parents and their grandfather. She continued thinking aloud, "It's not like he can really do anything about it. If he were to fire me, the board would go crazy. And he already admitted I won't be getting that promotion. I'm stuck in this position with virtually no consequences…"

Soma grinned mischievously and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, "Attagirl! Show him who's boss!"

Erina laughed, "Dummy, he's still the boss. But I'll think about it. I suppose giving our artists a little more freedom couldn't hurt."

Soma raised his glass cheerfully, "I'll drink to that."

* * *

They continued chatting about their work until Soma asked, "So, what exactly does Alice do for the foundation?"

Erina explained, "She heads the technology department. Alice is obsessed with finding the most cutting-edge tools and machines for our artists."

Soma nodded in appreciation, "Ah, that's why Kurokiba chose her! Makes sense I guess. He needs good equipment for his welding stuff."

Erina smirked, "Yes, it seems to have worked out perfectly for them. Kurokiba gets a resume booster and Alice gets the aide she always wanted." The white-haired girl had always been jealous of Hisako and Erina's working relationship, and she had begged for a secretary of her own until her grandfather proposed the internship idea.

Soma laughed, "C'mon I think they're pretty cute together actually."

Erina chuckled, "I suppose. I'm not used to seeing Alice so happy in her relationships. She usually picks these crazy guys and it's nonstop drama, but when she tries to date normal guys she says they're too boring for her!"

Soma gave her a sly smile, letting her in on his friend's secret. "He can get pretty wild at times, I'm not gonna lie, but for the most part he's a really chill guy. I know he seems kinda scary and tough but he's always been a softie for whoever he dates. Although I will say, I've never seen him quite as submissive as when he's with your cousin."

Erina giggled, "Alice has quite the knack for getting what she wants. But yes, I guess they are kind of cute."

Soma added, "And your friend and Hayama are dating now! That's crazy, right? Who knew your birthday would be the beginning of so many relationships?"

Erina blushed, thinking back to that night they had met on the dark dance floor. She thought of the way his hands had run over her body while dancing, how surprisingly soft his lips had been when she spontaneously kissed him—No! Now wasn't the time for that! She pushed the thoughts out forcefully as she nodded in agreement, "Yes, I believe he and Hisako have gone out a few times now. He even helps lead some of our art therapy classes for her!"

Erina sighed dreamily, _what a good guy!_ She was excited that Hisako had found such a gentleman that would do these things just for her. Eishi used to run the painting classes for the elderly but once his schedule had gotten too busy, he'd had to stop. Erina suspected Rindo had something to do with it as well though. Deep down, she really believed the white-haired painter had a decent heart, but he was somehow being manipulated by his agent.

Soma spoke, breaking her out of her trance, "Yeah, he told me about those! It sounds so cool, I'd love to participate if you ever need an extra set of hands."

Erina cocked a suspicious eyebrow, "You would? Why? It's an unpaid position…"

Soma grinned, "Yeah, obviously! It's volunteering! I just really love painting and I don't mind sharing that with others!"

The blonde gave a shy smile and murmured, "Alright then. I'll let you know when the next class is."

* * *

Once they had finished clearing the small table, it was time to say goodnight. Erina shuffled towards the door and peeked outside, watching the heavily rain pound on the pavement. Her car had pulled up right out front.

Soma smiled and said, "Thanks for coming by! I'm really glad I got to see you again."

Erina blushed and murmured, "Likewise. Thank you for inviting me. You've got quite the collection here, Soma. While it's definitely not on par with my other artists," she smirked haughtily, "you have potential. Keep at it. Let me know when your newest collection comes out and I'll give you some pointers."

Soma laughed, "Damn, tips from the queen herself? Thanks, but I'll have to pass. I'm gonna make you say my work's amazing all on my own."

She rolled her eyes but grinned, "Suit yourself." She opened the door and began to step out when Soma stopped her suddenly. He blurted out, "Wait a sec!"

Erina turned in confusion and stared at him, only to find him staring at her as if trying to take a photo with his eyes. She exclaimed self-consciously, "What?!"

Soma had found himself once again entranced by the girl's beauty, and as he watched her shiny blonde hair reflect the colors from the city lights and the rain blur the outside world behind her, he wanted nothing more than to paint her right here and now.

The redhead blushed and grinned, "N-Nothing. It's just that—I don't know, you in front of this backdrop is really nice. It would make a good painting."

Erina gaped at him and sputtered, "W-What? Don't be ridiculous! Stop with that nonsense!" She hit him playfully on the arm before spinning around and making a mad dash towards the car through the pouring rain.

As Erina rode him silently in the car, she thought back to their conversation during dinner about her taking the foundation in a new direction. The possibility of her potentially crossing her father terrified her, yet for some reason, she couldn't fight the thrilling feeling of adrenaline that rushed through her veins when she pictured how it would feel to defy his teachings. Something about Soma's fiery attitude encouraged her to fight back. He motivated her to be better, just as she apparently motivated him.

She'd finally come across the same feeling Soma had felt the night he'd met her. She'd felt _inspired_.


End file.
